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YACHT TRAGEDY
Last body found on Bayesian confirmed to be Hannah Lynch, 18, as family pay tribute to ‘ferociously intelligent’ student
A criminal probe has been launched into charges of culpable homicide - as cops quiz members of the crew
BRIT teen Hannah Lynch was found dead inside the doomed Bayesian superyacht today as her family and friends pay tribute to the gifted student.
Divers retrieved the body of her dad, Brit billionaire businessman Mike Lynch, 59, from the sunken boat on Thursday afternoon.
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The final missing passenger - 18-year-old Hannah - was found in the wreck and later recovered around 12pm local time today.
Italian coastguard official Vincenzo Zagarola said the search for Hannah was not "easy or quick", comparing the wreck to an "18-storey building full of water".
Her body was seen being lifted onto the Porticello quayside by rescue workers from the fire service who carried it into a white tent next to a waiting ambulance.
The discovery takes the total number of people found dead after the tragedy to seven and ends five gruelling days of search operations in the sunken wreck.
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Tributes have since poured in for the gifted teen who was remembered as "ferociously intelligent" after securing her place to study English at the University of Oxford only days ago.
A spokesperson for the Lynch family said they are "devastated", and "in shock" after the loss of Hannah and her dad.
The statement read: "Their thoughts are with everyone affected by the tragedy.
"They would like to sincerely thank the Italian coastguard, emergency services and all those who helped in the rescue."
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Fifteen of the 22 people onboard were rescued as the £14million yacht capsized and sank in a storm off the coast of Sicily on Monday.
Lynch's wife and Hannah's mum - Angela Bacares, 57 - was one of those who managed to escape in a tiny life raft as the vessel capsized.
Diving teams recovered the four bodies of Jonathan and Judy Bloomer and Chris and Neda Morvillo, who were guests on the yacht, on Wednesday.
Recaldo Thomas - the yacht chef - was found dead on Monday near the boat.
A family friend of the Lynchs', Patrick Jacob, remembered Hannah as "charming and ferociously intelligent with an insatiable thirst for life and knowledge" today.
He added: "She was also warm, loving and deeply considerate; remarkably for her age."
Jon Mitropoulos-Monk, head of English at her school the London Latymer School in Hammersmith, applauded Hannah's intelligence, kindness and grace.
He said: “I’ve never taught someone who combined sky-high intellectual ability with warmth and enthusiasm in the way Hannah did.
Bayesian superyacht maker says his boats are ‘UNSINKABLE’ & ‘safest ever’ as mystery surrounds Mike Lynch wreck
"She lit up the classroom with her energy, passion for learning and sheer intelligence (though never with a hint of arrogance).
“One of the best English students in the country, she scored 100% in her English Literature GCSE.
“She was so excited to start studying English at Oxford, a goal she had worked so hard towards.
“I taught Hannah for four years. I will remember her for what she taught me: kindness, compassion and commitment.”
Hannah is thought to be the youngest of Mike Lynch's two daughters, with the couple's eldest daughter now out in Porticello supporting her mum.
Her family released a photograph of Hannah and her dad hugging and smiling after her body was recovered this morning.
One friend Katya Lewis said: “The love Hannah had for everything she held dear was passionate and pure.
"She had a warm and beautiful soul. Being with Hannah made me feel whole and happy.
"She is the most special friend anyone could ask for and I will always love Hannah.”
Italian officials have yet to publicly comment on the latest development, which brings an end to five days of searching in the underwater wreck.
Officials are looking the boat's Automatic Identification System (AIS), essentially a black box that contains data transmitted from ships in distress to the mainland.
It revealed what exactly happened in the final 16 minutes before the Bayesian sank and plunged some 160ft to the ocean floor.
It comes as...
- Five bodies were recovered from the yacht wreck on Wednesday and Thursday including Brit tycoon Mike Lynch
- The CEO of the firm that produced the Bayesian said the boat is 'unsinkable' and pointed to human error
- Captain James Cutfield was quizzed for two hours by cops and remains at the centre of a probe
- Experts believe the yacht's 'tallest mast in the world' may have contributed to the disaster after a freak ‘Black Swan’ weather event struck
- Pictures showed the tiny raft that saved up to 15 people
- Frantic text messages from the survivors revealed the chaos
Pictures showed rescue teams bringing the body believed to be Mike Lynch ashore around 8.45am local time on Thursday.
An official working at the scene told AFP on Thursday that all the missing men had been found and it was just a woman, who could only be Hannah, that they were still searching for.
Rescue divers retrieved the first two missing passengers on Wednesday afternoon, with Sicily’s civil protection chief Salvo Cocina initially telling the bodies belonged to Mike and Hannah.
But Italian outlet later reported that the four bodies recovered were Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy and Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda.
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The 184ft Bayesian plunged beneath the waves after being hammered by a rare "Black Swan" waterspout at around 5am on Monday.
According to witnesses from a small nearby boat, the 246ft tall mast was hit by a tornado, toppling the boat and causing it to capsize.
Captain of the doomed yacht James Cutfield, 51, was grilled by cops for over two hours after divers discovered the boat's keel was raised - a structural backbone of the boat which could have affected its stability during the storm.
And the CEO of the firm which manufactured the boat has spoken out - claiming the yachts are "unsinkable" and blaming human error.
Police have launched an investigation as they work to find out why the luxury vessel sank.
Prosecutors in nearby Termini Imerese are investigating offences of shipwreck and multiple culpable homicide - similar to manslaughter in the UK - against unknown persons, according to Italian media.
Cops have been scouring videos and photographs taken on the night of the storm by locals, as well as CCTV footage of the port, according to local reports.
Divers said on Thursday they may raise the sunken yacht, which could help them complete the investigation.
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Although the boat is "practically intact" at the bottom of the sea, rescuers were struggling to get inside because of narrow entryways, floating debris and a 10 minute time limit per dive.
They deployed an underwater drone to the seabed to scour the wreck and send up helpful video and images.
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