Four Brits feared dead after ‘tornado’ sinks £14m Bayesian superyacht off Sicily as divers scour wreck for survivors

FOUR British tourists are feared dead after a £14million superyacht was reportedly hit by a tornado before sinking off the coast of Sicily.

The body of a man onboard the doomed Bayesian yacht has already been found as the frantic hunt for the remaining six survivors continues.

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A one-year-old Brit girl was rescued by her mother in the sea before being rushed to hospital by emergency crews in a lifeboat.

The yacht is believed to have been flooded by water after a tornado off the coast of Porticello, near Palermo , just before 5am local time on Monday morning.

Helicopters, divers, patrol boats and firefighters are all helping with the desperate search of the wreckage.

A man’s body was tragically found alongside the shipwreck by divers, reports Corriere Della Sera .

It is unclear which nationality the man was from with two US holidaymakers and a Canadian also still missing after the 160ft vessel was struck by violent winds and rain overnight.

The cook, who was part of the crew on the luxury travel ship, is still missing as well.

Do you have any information on the sinking yacht or those onboard? Email us at georgie.english@the-sun.co.uk

At least 15 people were saved by coast guards, patrol boats, firefighters and local fishermen as the captain reported the horror ordeal.

The ship’s charterers said there were 12 guests and 10 crew sailing at the time.

The youngest onboard was a one-year-old baby who was rushed to the nearby Children’s Hospital of Palermo.

Her loving mum spoke about the frantic rescue of the young girl telling Giornale di Sicilia: “For two seconds I lost the baby in the sea, then I immediately hugged her again amidst the fury of the waves.

“I held her tightly, close to me, while the sea was stormy. Many were screaming.

“Luckily the lifeboat inflated and 11 of us managed to get on board”

Seven other survivors are still in hospital receiving treatment.

Officials from the Red Cross, the Civil Protection, and the Municipality of Santa Flavia and Bagheria have provided the 14 people with clothing and aid.

Helicopters are still patrolling the coastal region as the search continues.

An expert team of divers have already been able to locate the hull where they discovered the man’s body, say Italian media.

It was discovered 160ft below the water on the seabed around half a mile from the coast.

Sicily is currently under a weather warning for strong winds.

Almost all of the 22 passengers and crew onboard are said to have been inside their cabins and rooms when the weather took a turn.

Many of the terrified passengers managed to escape their rooms before being forced to enter the sea, say Corriere Della Sera .

Unbelievable tragedy tonight. I’m out of words

Shocked witness

The yacht was said to have started to sink just off the shoreline with its anchor still down.

Local crews of fishermen quickly spotted the ship and managed to help raise the anchor along with two other sailing vessels, say local media.

The Bayesian costs £166,000-a-week to rent out.

It sails under a British flag, according to a Facebook post Sunday evening.

The ship is managed by Camper and Nicholsons International.

A spokesperson for the company told the BBC they are “dealing with a situation onboard one of [their] managed vessels”.

The boat left the Sicilian port of Milazzo last Wednesday and was last tracked east of Palermo last night, according to tracking app Vesselfinder.

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AP

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A spokesperson for the Foreign Office told The Sun: “We are in contact with the local authorities following an incident in Sicily, and stand ready to provide consular support to British nationals affected.”

A restaurant owner near to the port shared a picture of the Bayesian sailing in stormy conditions last night.

The caption read: “The yacht on the left sunk at 4:05, caught in the middle of the hurricane 300 meters from the port of Porticello, next to another sailboat that provided rescue.

“It looks like there are 22 on board but unfortunately 7 missing, they’re still afraid inside the hull.

“Unbelievable tragedy tonight. I’m out of words.”

Citizens from New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Ireland and France were also onboard alongside the British nationals, say Italian media.

The group are said to have been on holiday in Sicily.

A shocked witness told local media about the moment the yacht started to sink: “At around 4:30 in the morning it was gone.

“A beautiful vessel where there had been a party. Evidently they were surprised by the storm that suddenly hit and they were unable to prevent it from sinking.”

They claim the vessel’s mast was torn apart by the tornado before it was knocked off balance and started filling with water.

The Bayesian first set sail in 2008 after being produced by Italian yacht builder Perini Navi, say Superyacht Times .

We are in contact with the local authorities following an incident in Sicily, and stand ready to provide consular support to British nationals affected

UK Foreign Office

It can hold up to 12 guests and 10 crew members and features six cabins.

It is said to have the second tallest mast in the world at a height of 246ft, say il Fatto Quotidiano .

She can reportedly reach speeds of up to 15.5 knots and is powered by twin Caterpillar C-32 diesel engines.

It comes just a week after a £1million yacht sank near Majorca with five people including a child onboard.

Terrifying footage shows an entire half of the vessel submerged off Camp de Mar in Andratx – promoting an urgent rescue mission with all five being rushed back to land safely.

Days earlier a luxury superyacht started to sink after a crew member left a door open – causing water to flood the interior.

The 150ft vessel dubbed “Ethos” was carrying five wealthy tourists when it dramatically started tipping over as waves crashed into its side.

Sat just off the coast of Kefalonia, Greece , in the Paleokaravo Bay, the £180,000-a-week yacht was sent to a watery grave after the huge blunder.

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