Tributes have started flowing for Hannah Lynch, the 18-year-old daughter of tech tycoon Mike Lynch, after what is believed to be her body was recovered from the sunken superyacht off Sicily.
The Italian coastguard said on Friday that divers had found the body of the last person missing after the superyacht sank on Monday, outlets including Sky News reported.
Hannah Lynch had been missing since the Bayesian sank following a freak storm early on Monday.
Italian authorities have not yet formally identified the body, but tributes are being made for Hannah and her father.
A Lynch representative said in a statement that the family was “devastated, in shock, and is being comforted and supported by family and friends.”
A representative for Latymer Upper School in Hammersmith, west London, where Hannah studied, said in a statement reported by BBC News: “We are all incredibly shocked by the news. Our thoughts are with their family and everyone involved.”
Hannah was due to start at Oxford University this fall, according to the school’s head of English, Jon Mitropoulos-Monk.
He told British outlets that Hannah “lit up the classroom with her energy, passion for learning and sheer intelligence — though never with a hint of arrogance.”
Mitropolous-Monk described her as one of the “best English students in the country”, citing her perfect grade for English Literature GCSE.
“When she got her place at Oxford, she sought out every single member of the Latymer Upper English Department to thank them individually and give them a hug.
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“She achieved everything she did with extraordinary levels of grace and fortitude that few others can say they possess. I will remember her for what she taught me: kindness, compassion and commitment.”
Hannah’s school friend Katya Lewis said in a statement issued through the Lynch family: “Being with Hannah made me feel whole and happy. She is the most special friend anyone could ask for. She had a warm and beautiful soul.”
Gracie Lea, who also attends Latymer Upper, said: “When I think of Hannah, I think of poetry, sunshine and her beautiful eyes. She was easy to love: sincere, dedicated, fiercely intelligent and genuinely kind. I’ll always remember her smiling.”
Hannah was the last of the missing passengers from Monday’s yacht disaster who remained unaccounted for before her body was found on Friday.
Patrick Jacob, a family friend, said she had “an insatiable thirst for life and knowledge” and was “warm, loving and deeply considerate.” He added: “We have lost one of our brightest stars whose future held so much promise. Her loss is unbearable.”
Fifteen people were rescued including Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, after the yacht sank.
Italian authorities are investigating the cause of the tragedy.