‘Only comfort is they are still together’ says family of bank boss who died with wife in superyacht sinking

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The family of a leading bank boss who died alongside his wife when the Bayesian sank off the coast of Sicily have said their “only comfort” is that the couple are “still together now”.
Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of Morgan Stanley International and insurance company Hiscox, and his wife Judy, a psychotherapist, died when Mike Lynch’s £30 million superyacht sank off the coast of Sicily on Monday.
Their deaths were confirmed on Thursday, along with those of Lynch, Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo, 59, and his wife, Neda. Tributes to all those killed have been paid by colleagues, friends and business leaders.
In a statement on behalf of all the family, the Bloomer children said: “We are grieving for our loved ones and all of those affected by the tragedy.
“Our parents were incredible people and an inspiration to many, but first and foremost they were focused on and loved their family and spending time with their new grandchildren.
“Together for five decades, our only comfort is that they are still together now.
“This is an unimaginable grief to shoulder.”
Mr Bloomer, 70, was formerly chief executive of the Prudential insurance group and a defence witness in the US trial in which Mr Lynch was acquitted of fraud.
On Thursday night, the chief executive of Morgan Stanley described Mr Bloomer as a “friend and mentor to many”.
Ted Pick said: “We are deeply saddened by this tragic news.
“Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the Bloomer family and all those affected by this tragedy.
“Jonathan’s leadership and experience helped the firm manage a period of complex change for our international businesses.
“He has been a friend and mentor to many and we will all greatly miss his wise counsel and spirit of kindness.”
Aki Hussain, the chief executive of insurance group Hiscox, where Mr Bloomer was chairman, added: “We are deeply shocked and saddened by Jonathan and Judy’s tragic deaths.
“Our deepest sympathies go out to their family and friends at this devastating time.
“It was a privilege to have known Jonathan and to have benefited from his generosity and wisdom over the last year in his role as chair of Hiscox.
“His deep experience across our industry and in the broader business arena, combined with his personal values, made him both an excellent chair and a person I was proud to know and work with.
“His advice and support were immensely valuable to me, and he will be dearly missed.”
Elsewhere, friends and colleagues of British tech tycoon Mike Lynch praised the businessman.
Family friend Patrick Jacob said: “Mike’s ability to identify and solve complex problems was phenomenal as was his ability to simplify and explain them.
“As a friend, Mike was never dull and always ready for a lively debate on almost any topic conducted with intelligence and convivial vigour.
“He could be challenging and direct but I never came away from seeing him without feeling my life was enriched by the experience.”
Eleanor Lightbody, the chief executive of legal AI company Luminance, said: “I am devastated to hear the news about our founding investor, Mike Lynch, and all of those involved in this tragic accident.
“Mike was a visionary unlike any other. He had a unique ability to spot the next technological revolution and solve tomorrow’s challenges before others even knew they were coming.
“Beyond that, it was his connection to people that made him special. He had a steadfast belief in the UK’s technology sector, in our incredible academic institutions and in the talent he took the time to spot and nurture, regardless of background or discipline.
“Above all, Mike was a kind man who had an impact on many and will be sorely missed. I feel honoured to have known him, worked with him and learnt from him over the years.
“The UK has lost someone with the means, authority, knowledge and drive to propel the UK into technological leadership, but his legacy will live on in all of the extraordinary businesses he built and mentored, as well as his family who are in my thoughts.”
Tim Davie, BBC director-general said: “We are deeply saddened by the awful news about the deaths of those aboard the Bayesian yacht.
“Mike Lynch was an outstanding BBC director who made a major contribution during his time on the board, from 2007 to 2012.
“Wise, generous and insightful, he played a particularly key role in accelerating our transformation as a digital organisation.
“Our thoughts are with his family and all others involved.”
The families of Mr Morvillo and his wife released an emotional statement after the couple were confirmed to have died in the tragedy.
It said: “We are completely devastated by the passing of Chris and Neda, and our collective hearts go out to all the families who have also been affected by this senseless tragedy.
“Chris and Neda were each widely respected for their professional successes, Chris as a distinguished attorney and Neda as a skilled jewellery designer, but their true talents were that of mother and father, son and daughter, brother, sister, uncle, aunt and dear friends to so many.
“Neda and Chris lived their lives as devoted, loving parents who always put their daughters and families first. Their passing is a tremendous loss for our family and for the countless people who knew and loved them both.
“We extend our deepest gratitude to the Italian rescue services for their unwavering dedication and to Clifford Chance for all the support they have provided.
“As we grieve this enormous loss, our primary focus remains on Chris and Neda’s daughters and other loved ones, and we respectfully request privacy.”
Mr Morvillo had taken on several high-profile cases throughout his career, including assisting in the criminal investigation that followed the 9/11 terrorist attacks on New York’s World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
Elkan Abramowitz, partner at Morvillo Abramowitz Grand Iason & Anello PC, worked with Mr Morvillo’s father, Robert Morvillo, who was also a renowned lawyer. The younger Mr Morvillo worked at the firm for several years after he left his role as a federal prosecutor.
“We’ve been in contact with the family, and obviously this is a tragic, devastating fact for them, for us,” he told The Telegraph.
“I met Chris when he was four years old because I was friendly and a partner for many years with his father, Bob Marvillo, and I was like an uncle to Chris, and we feel the loss, not only professionally, but personally. It’s just a tragic, tragic, turn of events.”
He added that after leaving his law firm Mr Morvillo went to work for Clifford Chance where he was “a superstar”.
“And of course, he had this fantastic win just a few weeks ago. He was a wonderful human being and a great lawyer, but more importantly, wonderful person, as was his wife.”
He said Mrs Morvillo was an “independent, strong woman, a very talented jewellery designer and very successful at that.”
The British engineer who survived the superyacht disaster is “okay”, his brother has confirmed.
Engineer Tim Parker-Eaton, from Clophill, Bedfordshire, is one of the 15 people who survived the capsizing of the Bayesian.
Speaking from his home in Chicago, Illinois, Stephen Parker-Eaton told The Telegraph that his brother Tim “is okay”, but said he had been advised against commenting further.
Stephen said: “I’ve just been advised that he’s in a situation, and they’re dealing with it, and I should not make any comment until that has been resolved with the right authorities.
“I am not aware of the situation – as to what is going on there – I am just aware that he has survived,” he said.
Tim Parker-Eaton has been associated with the Bayesian for over a decade. In 2013 he served as the yacht’s chief engineer.
The torture of the Bayesian sinking lasted 16 minutes, according to the chief executive of the Italian Sea Group, which owns several boat brands including the superyacht’s builder, Perini Navi.
Giovanni Costantino told the Financial Times: “The torture lasted 16 minutes. It went down, not in one minute as some scientists have said. It went down in 16 minutes.
“You can see it from the charts, from the AIS [Automatic Identification System] tracking chart.”
Jonathan Bloomer, who has died aged 70, was chairman of Morgan Stanley International, former chief executive of the Prudential insurance group – and a defence witness in the US trial in which the tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch was acquitted of fraud.
A well-respected City professional, Bloomer had a reputation for straightforwardness, decency and attention to detail. Colleagues described a gentle, understated man, perhaps more suited to chair and committee roles than to the limelight he attracted during a rollercoaster tenure at Prudential, where he was finance director from 1995 and chief executive from 2000 to 2005.
Read the full obituary here
The family of Chris and Neda Morvillo has released a statement, confirming the couple died after the Bayesian sank off the coast of Sicily on Monday. 
The statement reads: “We are completely devastated by the passing of Chris and Neda, and our collective hearts go out to all the families who have also been affected by this senseless tragedy.
“Chris and Neda were each widely respected for their professional successes, Chris as a distinguished attorney and Neda as a skilled jewellery designer, but their true talents were that of mother and father, son and daughter, brother, sister, uncle, aunt and dear friends to so many. 
“Neda and Chris lived their lives as devoted, loving parents who always put their daughters and families first. Their passing is a tremendous loss for our family and for the countless people who knew and loved them both.
“We extend our deepest gratitude to the Italian rescue services for their unwavering dedication and to Clifford Chance for all the support they have provided.
“As we grieve this enormous loss, our primary focus remains on Chris and Neda’s daughters and other loved ones, and we respectfully request privacy.”
The chief executive of insurance group Hiscox has said Jonathan Bloomer “will be dearly missed”. 
Aki Hussain said: “It was a privilege to have known Jonathan and to have benefited from his generosity and wisdom over the last year in his role as chair of Hiscox.
“His deep experience across our industry and in the broader business arena, combined with his personal values, made him both an excellent chair and a person I was proud to know and work with.”
Hargreaves Lansdown described Mr Bloomer as a “giant in financial services”.
Mr Bloomer served on the investment platform’s board from 2006 to 2013 as a senior independent director.
The group said: “We in the Hargreaves Lansdown family will miss him and our thoughts go out to his loved ones, as well as those of the others lost in this awful disaster.”
Judy Bloomer was a trustee and long-time supporter of gynaecological cancer research charity the Eve Appeal.
Athena Lamnisos, chief executive of the Eve Appeal, called her “our very dear friend”.
The appeal added that she was a “champion for women’s health, medical research and all that the Eve Appeal stands for”.
Sally Bailey, a former chairwoman of charity Pilot Light, wrote that Ms Bloomer was a “wonderful friend” to the Eve Appeal, and “a kind and caring person”.
Ms Bloomer studied English at Homerton College, Cambridge, before working as a psychotherapist for nearly 30 years, specialising in anxiety and stress.
Divers are hunting for Mike Lynch’s missing daughter after it was suggested she may not be inside the sunken superyacht.
Specialist cave divers are continuing their search for 18-year-old Hannah Lynch, who remains the last person unaccounted for after the Bayesian sank on Monday.
Massimo Mariani, an interior ministry official, said that Hannah may still be inside the ship, which lies 165ft underwater on the seabed, or could have been tossed into the sea when the superyacht sank.
Read the full story here.
The chief executive of Morgan Stanley has paid tribute to Jonathan Bloomer, the bank’s international chairman, following his death in the sinking of the Bayesian.
Ted Pick said: “We are deeply saddened by this tragic news.
“Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the Bloomer family and all those affected by this tragedy.
“Jonathan’s leadership and experience helped the firm manage a period of complex change for our international businesses.
“He has been a friend and mentor to many and we will all greatly miss his wise counsel and spirit of kindness.”
The chief executive of the British Library, Sir Roly Keating, said: “Mike’s extraordinary understanding of technology, combined with his passion for the British Library’s mission to share knowledge, made him an invaluable member of our board.
“He was thoughtful, perceptive and supportive, and will be deeply missed by all of us who worked with him in his time here.”
Mr Lynch also served on the board of the BBC and was a trustee of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Mike Lynch considered selling his doomed superyacht before his trip to the Mediterranean but changed his mind after his acquittal, The Telegraph can reveal.
The British tech tycoon, 59, had put his £30 million Perini Navi yacht up for sale in March this year but withdrew it from the market in July, shortly after he was acquitted of fraud in San Francisco.
He planned to spend the summer on board the 56-metre vessel and then review the decision to sell in the autumn, industry sources told The Telegraph.
Read the full story here.
Tim Davie, BBC director-general, has paid tribute to Mike Lynch.
He said: “We are deeply saddened by the awful news about the deaths of those aboard the Bayesian yacht.
“Mike Lynch was an outstanding BBC director who made a major contribution during his time on the board, from 2007 to 2012.
“Wise, generous and insightful, he played a particularly key role in accelerating our transformation as a digital organisation.
“Our thoughts are with his family and all others involved.”
Nick Barke, head of salvage operations at Boats.co.uk, has said the “only real way of knowing” why the yacht sank will be to lift it to the surface.
Mr Barke warned that such a process would be “expensive and complicated” as “they have to do it in such a way that they don’t damage anything too badly.”
He said divers would attach straps to the boat before it is lifted upright and hauled out of the water by a crane barge.
The chief executive of Cancer Research UK has added to the tributes paid to Mike Lynch after confirmation of his death on Thursday.
Michelle Mitchell said: “We are deeply saddened to hear of the death of Mike Lynch and all those who have been affected by this tragedy.
“Together with his wife, Angela, Mike was a valued donor to Cancer Research UK and a member of the board for our Create the Change campaign, which funded the building of the Francis Crick Institute.
“His support has helped to bring leading scientists together under one roof to tackle the biggest health challenges faced by humankind, including cancer.
“Our sincerest condolences go out to all the families affected.”
The timing of Mike Lynch’s death has been likened to a Shakespearean tragedy by a friend of the technology entrepreneur.
Brent Hoberman, the lastminute.com founder and friend of Mr Lynch, told BBC:  “It’s very tragic and the timing is of a Shakespearean era tragedy.”
Mr Hoberman added: “He had just worked hard to clear his name for the last 12 years and was on a celebratory cruise with the people who supported him so much through that really tough time.”
An extract from Admiralty Chart 963 covering ports on the north coast of Sicilia shows the area in which Mike Lynch’s superyacht sank on Monday.
Although the precise spot where Bayesian sank has not been disclosed by the authorities, it is known to be about half a mile south-east of Porticello.
The Bayesian superyacht was “virtually unsinkable”, the chief executive of the firm that built it has claimed.
Prosecutors in the nearby town of Termini Imerese have opened an investigation into the disaster and will seek to establish what caused the boat to sink and whether any of the crew are criminally liable.
They are expected to investigate the keel on Mike Lynch’s superyacht after it was found “partially elevated” – and also whether the yacht’s crew had failed to close access hatches into the vessel before the tornado struck.
Read full story here.
David Tabizel, Mike Lynch’s co-founder at software giant Autonomy, has paid tribute to the businessman.
He said: “It looks like we’ve lost our dear Dr Mike Lynch. RIP. The world has lost a genius. His family have lost a giant of a man.
“A glorious professional companion and true friend. Britain’s Bill Gates? Not really. Britain’s Steve Jobs. The father of modern AI.”
Emergency workers “would need a crystal ball” to know if and when another body will be found, an Italian fire service spokesman said.
Divers brought a fifth body to shore today, with one person still unaccounted for.
The coastguard said the missing person is a woman. Four other bodies were recovered yesterday.
Luca Cari, a spokesman for the fire rescue service, told Sky News: “We would need a crystal ball to know when we’ll be able to find the next body.
“It’s very difficult to move inside the wreckage. Moving just one metre can take up to 24 hours.”
The superyacht that sank off the coast of Sicily had won multiple awards for its stylish interiors and design.
Mike Lynch, 59, and his teenage daughter, Hannah, are among the seven passengers and crew feared dead when his yacht, the Bayesian, sank off Porticello near the Sicilian city of Palermo.
Divers are searching the wreckage of the 184ft British-flagged vessel, which rests on the sea bed 160ft below the surface and 1,600ft from shore.
The Bayesian, previously called Salute, was built in 2008 by Perini Navi, an Italian shipyard, alongside yacht designer Ron Holland Design. 
Read the full story here.
Plans to raise the sunken Bayesian from the ocean floor have not yet been discussed by the Italian coast guard.
The luxury yacht is lying intact on its starboard side, 165ft underwater, off the coast of Porticello in Sicily.
Asked if plans had been made to salvage the boat, Vincenzo Zagarola, a spokesman for the coast guard, said: “No, this is not a topic on the agenda. It will be, but not now.”
The Costa Concordia cruise liner, which sank off the Italian island of Giglio in 2012, claiming 32 lives, was not salvaged for more than two years.
The chairman of the Francis Crick Institute has described Mike Lynch as a “human being of great ability”, following confirmation on Thursday of the technology mogul’s death.
Mr Lynch was a member of the Create The Change fundraising board, set up by Cancer Research UK and which helped fund the building of the institute.
Lord John Browne said: “Mike Lynch should be remembered as the person who catalysed a breed of deep tech entrepreneurs in the UK.
“His ideas and his personal vision were a powerful contribution to science and technology in both Britain and globally.
“I send my condolences to those close to him. We have lost a human being of great ability.”
The Italian fire service has shared an update on social media after the fifth body was recovered from the Bayesian. 
Vigili del Fuoco posted a picture of their equipment on X, alongside the caption: “The dives in the sea began in the early hours of the morning and continue for the search and recovery of the last missing person.”
“The body of the fifth victim was recovered and brought ashore by the divers,” they added.
The Royal Academy of Engineering has paid tribute to its “mentor, donor and former council member” Mike Lynch following his reported death in Sicily.
In a statement, the academy said: “The trustee board, fellows and staff of the Royal Academy of Engineering are deeply saddened to learn of the death of Mike Lynch, and send our profound condolences to his family.
“Mike became a fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2008 and we have fond memories of the active role he played in the past as a mentor, donor and former council member.
“He was also one of the inaugural members on the enterprise committee.
“Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time.”
Obtaining testimonies from witnesses “while memories are fresh” will be essential for authorities investigating the Bayesian sinking, a maritime investigator has said.
James Wilkes said authorities will want to speak to those who survived or witnessed the sinking “while the memories are fresh in their mind”.
Mr Wilkes told Sky News: “A lot of the other information can be collected a bit more slowly.”
He said those investigating the sinking will likely want to know what the crew knew about the incoming storm and what preparations had been made.
He added: “Fortunately, 15 people survived. I’d like to explore the circumstances in which they were able to survive the storm and the sinking, to look at the anomalies and work out the difference between those and the people that sadly didn’t survive and combine it all with technical data and simulation.”
The chairman of children’s charity the NSPCC has described Jonathan Bloomer, the former honorary treasurer of the organisation, as “a very kind individual”, after the sinking of the Bayesian.
Speaking about the Morgan Stanley International bank chairman and his wife Judy, who reportedly died after the vessel sank off the coast of Sicily, Neil Berkett said: “We are deeply saddened that the deaths of Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy have been confirmed after the yacht they were on tragically sank off the coast of Sicily.
“Jonathan and Judy were great supporters of the NSPCC over many years, with Jonathan joining our board of trustees in 2008 and serving as the honorary treasurer from 2009 to 2016.
“We remember Jonathan from his time with us as a very kind individual with a great sense of humour and Judy as formidable and passionate.
“We are so grateful for everything they did for children and the NSPCC and our thoughts are with their family, friends and colleagues at this desperately sad time.”
Sir David Davis has vowed to campaign “in memory” of Mike Lynch to scrap the extradition treaty between the US and the UK.
Mr Lynch was charged with fraud in the United States in 2018 and fought being sent there for trial for years until he was extradited in 2023.
He was cleared of fraud by a San Francisco jury in June this year over the multibillion-dollar sale of Autonomy, his software company. Mr Lynch always denied fraud.
The UK-US extradition treaty was implemented in 2003 but Sir David said it was lopsided in favour of the Americans and does not provide adequate protections for British citizens.
Read the full story here.
Hannah Lynch, the 18-year-old daughter of British technology tycoon, Mike Lynch, remains missing after the body of her father and four others were recovered from the Bayesian, according to reports.
The Italian coast guard confirmed to the PA news agency that the sixth and final person yet to be found was a woman.
Mr Lynch; his daughter; Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer; his wife, Judy Bloomer; Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo; and his wife, Neda Morvillo, were lost when the Bayesian sank at around 5am on Monday.
The Bayesian was stable and only a massive entry of water could have caused the sinking, according to the company that built the yacht. 
The Italian Sea Group which owns Perini Navi, said in a statement: “The yacht was built in 2008 by the Perini shipyards of Viareggio and the last refit was in 2020.
“The controversies about the mast are sterile controversies because the mast, according to those who have seen it, is intact.
“The retractable keel stabilises the ship, but even without the keel completely out the ship is stable and only a massive entry of water could have caused the sinking which did not happen in a minute as someone wrote.”
The chief executive of the company that built the Bayesian has defended the boat’s construction and blamed human error for the sinking of the vessel.
Giovanni Costantino, founder and CEO of The Italian Sea Group, which owns the Perini Navi that built the Bayesian, told Corriere della Sera.“The passengers reported something absurd, that the storm came unexpectedly, suddenly. That is not true.  Everything was predictable.”
Mr Costantino said the Bayesian was “one of the safest boats in the world” and was virtually “unsinkable”.
He added: “Ask yourself – why were none of the Porticello fishermen out that night? A fisher checks the conditions and a ship doesn’t? The disturbance was completely readable on all the weather maps. It was impossible not to know.”
Mr Costantino said the strong winds had pushed the boat for four minutes in what he called “drifting”.  He claimed the boat then rotated and had begun taking on water before it sank.
Divers in Sicily have recovered the fifth passenger from the sunken superyacht Bayesian after five were discovered in the wreckage yesterday.
On Wednesday Salvatore Cocina, the head of Sicily’s civil protection agency, said that of the five bodies found, only four had been recovered. However on Thursday morning the fifth body was retrieved.
A fire service boat with flashing blue lights returned with a blue body bag to Porticello at just after 8.45am local time on Thursday.
Italian authorities are yet to confirm the identities of those pulled from the water.
The British technology entrepreneur Mike Lynch and his teenage daughter, Hannah, are believed to be among the dead after the £30 million vessel sank on Monday after being hit by a tornado.
Fifteen of the 22 passengers and crew on board, including Mr Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, were rescued by emergency crews after the yacht suffered catastrophic damage owing to the waterspout. 
British authorities are now investigating the exact cause of the sinking.
Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah are believed to be among five bodies found in the search of the luxury superyacht Bayesian on Wednesday.
Four bodies were brought ashore. Salvo Cocina, the director of Sicily’s civil protection agency, told The Telegraph that he believed Mr Lynch and his daughter had been found.
 Here is a recap of what happened yesterday: 
A fifth body has been recovered and brought ashore from the sunken superyacht Bayesian, Italian authorities confirmed. 
Salvo Cocina, the director-general of Sicily’s civil protection agency, told The Telegraph that the body had been recovered from the wreckage, but he did not give any indication of the identity or sex of the individual.
Divers recovered four bodies on Wednesday, with one other passenger still missing. 
Specialist cave divers have been searching for missing passengers in the wreckage of the sunken Bayesian.
They gained access to the £30 million vessel after breaking through a 3cm-thick pane of glass.
The teams have scoured wreckage with the assistance of remotely controlled underwater vehicles. 
The yacht is lying intact on its starboard side, 165ft underwater.
A boat carrying a dive team heads to the site of the sunken superyacht Bayesian. 
A fifth body has now been recovered from the wreckage as the search operations enters its fourth day.   
The designer of Mike Lynch’s superyacht Bayesian is likely to be contacted by British investigators.
The vessel was designed by Ron Holland, a naval architect, who now lives in Vancouver.
Gavin Pritchard, a retired Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) inspector, told The Telegraph that Mr Holland would, in the normal way, be contacted by the MAIB as its investigation into the sinking gathers pace.
Read the full story here.
Prosecutors will investigate the keel on Mike Lynch’s superyacht after it was found “partially elevated”.
On Wednesday, specialist divers continued to recover the remains of the missing passengers, and the tech entrepreneur and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah are believed to be among those pulled out of the water.
While exploring the Bayesian 165ft underwater on the seabed, it was reported that the vessel’s retractable keel was partially raised, raising questions about the boat’s stability at the time of the sinking.
Read the full story here.
The search will resume today for the last remaining passenger of the sunken superyacht Bayesian after the vessel was hit by a tornado on Monday morning.
It comes after five bodies were discovered inside the wreckage yesterday.
Six people, including technology entrepreneur Mike Lynch, were unaccounted for after the vessel was hit by a waterspout at around 5am on Monday causing it to sink.
Salvatore Cocina, the head of Sicily’s civil protection agency, confirmed that of the five bodies found on Wednesday, just four had been recovered. He said the whereabouts of the missing sixth person is not yet known.
Authorities are yet to confirm the identities of those recovered from the wreckage.