Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of Morgan Stanley International, and Chris Morvillo, a lawyer from Clifford Chance, are among six individuals missing after a luxury yacht sank in a storm off the coast of Sicily on Monday. The yacht, which featured one of the world's tallest masts, went down after the mast broke in half during the storm. Out of the 22 people aboard, one has been confirmed dead, and 15 have been rescued.
Salvatore Cocina, head of the Civil Protection agency on the Italian island, reported that Bloomer and Morvillo’s wives are also missing. Bloomer, who is listed on LinkedIn as the chairman of Morgan Stanley International and also chairs the London-listed insurer Hiscox, has been the subject of a statement from Hiscox CEO Aki Hussain. Hussain expressed deep shock and sadness over the situation, offering thoughts and support to Bloomer’s family during this difficult time.
The storm that caused the yacht's sinking brought torrential rainfall to Sicily late Sunday, with over 4 inches (100 mm) of rain falling in less than four hours in Brolo, east of Palermo. According to the European Severe Weather Database, a waterspout—essentially a tornado over water—formed in the area where the yacht was anchored on Monday morning. Additionally, Lynch, a 59-year-old tech investor and entrepreneur, had recently been acquitted in a fraud trial related to the multi-billion dollar sale of Autonomy, the software company he co-founded, to Hewlett Packard. Prosecutors had accused him of inflating Autonomy’s revenue before the sale.