Tragedy at sea: British millionaire's yacht hit by waterspout off Sicily

Since yesterday, Italian media have been reporting on the tragedy that occurred off the coast of Palermo. A waterspout that appeared yesterday over Sicily struck the 184-foot yacht belonging to Michael Lynch, who has been among the wealthiest Britons for years. There were 12 party participants and 10 crew members on board. Sadly, the body of one man has already been found.

The rescue operation is continually underway off the coast of Sicily, where the collision with the waterspout occurred early Monday morning. Six people are still missing, and 15 have been rescued. Among the survivors are Charlotte Golunski from the United Kingdom, her husband, and their one-year-old daughter, Sofia.

A participant in the event held in honour of the clearing of allegations against the entrepreneur, who was accused of deliberately inflating the value of his company, highlighted in an interview with the Italian daily "La Repubblica" that she went through a real horror. Golunski fought with all her might to save the life of her child, who fell from her hands.

For two seconds I lost my daughter in the sea then quickly hugged her amid the fury of the waves. 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 - Charlotte Golunski reported.

Sofia is in the paediatric ward of the hospital in Palermo. Her health is not in danger. Meanwhile, the 36-year-old mother, whom the media are calling a "heroine," is undergoing treatment for a shoulder injury. Together with her husband, they are constantly by their daughter's side.

Charlotte Golunski added that they survived only because they escaped the cabin when the violent storm broke out. The yacht sank in just a few minutes.