A scramble to find survivors after Bayesian yacht sinks off Sicily coast

One person died and six people were missing after a luxury yacht sank Monday in Italy off the coast of Palermo, the capital of Sicily, after a sudden storm hit the area, according to Italy's coast guard.

The Bayesian, a 184-feet-long, British-registered sailboat, went down just before sunrise, capsizing its 22 passengers, the coast guard said in a statement. The people missing were American, British and Canadian nationals.

Of the 15 passengers rescued, eight were taken to a local hospital for treatment and were in stable condition, local news reported. A 1-year-old was among those rescued.

"We are providing consular support to a number of British nationals and their families following an incident in Sicily and are in contact with the local authorities," the U.K Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said in a statement emailed to USA TODAY.

What caused the Bayesian to sink?
The ship sank after unexpectedly strong storms recently dumped heavy rainfall, causing flooding and landslides, in parts of the country.

Among those missing was British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, a person familiar with the rescue operation told Reuters.

The captain of a nearby ship told Reuters his crew rescued some survivors from a life raft, including three who were seriously injured.

“We managed to keep the ship in position and after the storm was over, we noticed that the ship behind us was gone,” Karsten Borner said. The other boat “went flat on the water, and then down,” he said.

"A little baby and the wife of the owner" were rescued, while the ship's owner and a child were missing, he said.