Hero mum who saved child in tremendous yacht tragedy speaks out about horror incident

A British mum has recounted the dramatic rescue of her baby during a yachting disaster that has left seven feared dead. Four Brits are still unaccounted for after their posh £25m yacht sank when it was smashed by a rogue tornado.

Among the missing is a high-flying businessman who’s been nicknamed “Britain’s Bill Gates.” Mogul Mike Lynch is believed to be trapped in the ruins of his luxury super-yacht that went down near the coast of Sicily.

His wife Angela Bacares, aged 57, is one of the known survivors, however their 18 year old daughter Hannah is also amongst the missing.

Among the 15 people rescued from the tragedy, a mother who clung desperately to her one year old tot revealed how she battled to get onto a lifeboat as their vessel overturned, reports the Mirror.

Charlotte Golunski, 36, explained: “For two seconds I lost my baby in the sea, then I immediately hugged her again amid 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.”

READ MORE: Multiple Brits missing as tornado-hit yacht sinks with desperate hunt for survivors

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She further elaborated: “I held her afloat with all my strength, my arms stretched upwards to keep her from drowning. It was all dark. In the water I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I screamed for help but all I could hear around me was the screams of others.”

Dr Domenico Cipolla, A&E chief at the Giovanni di Cristina paediatric hospital in Palermo, recounted the harrowing experience of Charlotte after their yacht capsized due to a tornado. He stated: “She told me that while they were sleeping, at a certain point the yacht overturned due to the tornado, and they found themselves in the water.”

“Some of them immediately managed to get onto the lifeboat. And some, evidently, didn’t make it. She told me that she was in the water for no more than two, three seconds, and she managed to save the baby, to keep her arms up, and then, with the others, they were able to get on the lifeboat, and then, I think, they were rescued by the coastguard.”

“They are all in good condition. We managed to get the parents to talk (to each other) on the phone, all the doctors and nurses were all very moved, also because the little girl is fine, the prognosis is good and we are carrying out tests just to be careful.”

This morning, authorities discovered a body, believed to be that of the vessel’s chef. Police divers currently face challenges reaching the wrecks hull, located 50 metres underwater. The sight of “corpses through the portholes” has also been reported by the divers.

The ill-fated yacht had 10 crew members and 12 passengers onboard when it met disaster. Salvo Cocina from Sicilys civil protection department remarked on the tragic timing: “They were in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Local fisherman Pietro Asciutto witnessed the chaos caused by an intense tornado, recalling, “I was at home when the tornado hit. I immediately closed all the windows. Then I saw the boat, it had only one mast, it was very big. I saw it suddenly sink.”

Recounting the destruction, Asciutto added, “I think the tornado came from Porticello… shortly afterwards I went down to the bay to get a better look at what was happening. The boat was still floating, then all of a sudden it disappeared. I saw it sinking with my own eyes.”

Karsten Borner, the skipper of a neighbouring boat that heroically saved 15 people, detailed the fierce weather conditions when the Bayesian sank, noting his own ship endured strong gusts but managed to hold steady using the engine and avoid colliding with the ill-fated ship, which vanished after the storm.

Borner recounted that he and his first mate spotted a flare in the water, prompting them to investigate and discover a life raft adrift at sea. He found “15 people inside, including a baby. Four people were injured, three badly.”

He explained that they contacted the coastguard, who then took charge of the rescued individuals and those injured. Borner also described how his ship was “heeling” but the Bayesian “went flat on the water and then down.”

“There was a light and we saw that the ship was aside and then we saw a triangle. So I think she went back down.”

Meanwhile, trawler captain Fabio Cefalu reported that he was preparing for a fishing trip when he observed lightning and decided to remain in the harbour.

He recounted, “At about 4:15am we saw a flare in the sea. We waited for this waterspout to pass. After ten minutes we went out to the sea and we saw cushions and all the rest of the boat [that had sunk], and everything which was on the deck, at sea. However, we did not see any people in the sea.”

A local restaurant owner posted an image on social media showing the Bayesian in turbulent weather, with the caption stating: “The yacht on the left sank at 4:05, caught in the middle of the hurricane 300 metres 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.”

Off the coast of Santa Flavia, a luxury yacht priced at a hefty £166k-a-week to rent and flying the UK flag has sunk in the wild weather, leaving 15 rescued and seven missing. Mayor Filippo Tripoli announced, “This morning, off the coast of Santa Flavia, a foreign boat sank due to bad weather, 15 people recovered and seven missing. Already all the police forces and emergency services are operational and our Red Cross volunteers are present.”

Since the announcement, one body has since been recovered and identified as the Canadian chef, Ricardo Thomas, who worked on board.

Nicknamed ‘The Bayesian’, the plush 56m vessel was packed with 22 souls, including Yanks and Canadians in its assembly of passengers and crew. The boat boasts accolades like the coveted best exterior styling gong from the 2009 World Superyacht Awards.

Officials from the UK’ Marine Accident Investigation Branch have now scrambled four of their finest to look into the incident. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office stated:, “We are in contact with the local authorities following an incident in Sicily, and stand ready to provide consular support to British nationals affected.”