FacebookA body found near a luxury yacht that sank off the coast of Sicily is believed to be that of chef Recaldo Thomas.
The Canadian-Antigua citizen was one of 22 people on board the Bayesian when it sank in a fierce storm on Monday.
Friend Gareth Williams described him as well-liked and kind, with “the deepest and most captivating voice in the world, and a smile that lit up a room”.
Divers are struggling to reach the cabins of the sunken ship as they search for six missing passengers, including British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch and Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer.
ReutersBritish investigators arrived in Italy on Tuesday to assess what happened in the severe weather that hit the cruise ship.
The Bayesian capsized about 700m (2,300ft) off Porticello, just east of Sicily’s capital Palermo, early on Monday morning.
Of the 22 people on board, 15 survived – including a British mother who described hugging her daughter little girl on the sea to save her from drowning.
So far only one body has been found, that of Recaldo Thomas.
Mr Williams said he had known the chef for 30 years because they grew up together in Antigua, where Thomas lived during the cruise industry’s low season.
“He told me the other day that he needed to do two more seasons to renovate his late parents’ house. He loves yachting, but he’s tired,” Mr Williams told BBC’s Insaf Abbas.
Another friend, Eli Fuller, said he first met the chef 25 years ago and that he was a role model for young people.
“Personality is very important in his work. The richest people in the world want to associate with someone who is sociable. He is sought after,” said Mr. Fuller.
“The kids would see all the white people working on the yachts. For them to see an Antiguan man travelling the world – that’s important to our community,” he added.
It is believed that the Bayesian was struck by a water-borne tornado – also known as a waterspout – causing the ship to capsize and sink to the bottom of the sea.
There were also reports that the boat’s mast had broken, while other factors included water entering through hatches that may have been opened due to high temperatures.
The Italian coast guard said on Tuesday afternoon that their search was continuing and divers were working to safely access the wreck.
Earlier, a member of the diving team, Marco Tilotta, said that approaching the ship was difficult because the Bayesian’s hull was tilted at a 90-degree angle to the seabed.
There was “a world of objects” blocking the narrow staircase leading into the cabin, he told Reuters.
“We are not stopping,” he added. “We have the resources, the manpower and the means. Our goal is to find all the missing people, so that is our job.”
Divers can only stay underwater for about 12 minutes, meaning once they reach the wreck, they only have about 10 minutes to search.
In addition to several teams of divers, the coast guard said it had five patrol boats, at least two helicopters and a remotely operated underwater vehicle.
Professional divers trained to operate in small spaces were brought in from Rome and Sardinia.
The 56m (183ft) long British-flagged sailing ship was carrying 10 crew members and 12 passengers when it sank.
Among those missing are Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, as well as Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy.
Neda Morvillo, an American jewelry designer, and her husband Chris are also missing. The news was confirmed by his law firm Clifford Chance.
Mr Lynch was acquitted in June of multiple fraud charges relating to the sale of his company Autonomy to US computer giant Hewlett-Packard for $11bn (£8.6bn) in 2011.
Relatives of one of the survivors said lawyers representing Mr Lynch in the proceedings – where Mr Bloomer was a defence witness – were invited aboard the Bayesian to celebrate.
Ayla Ronald, a senior partner at Clifford Chance, and her husband were among those rescued from the yacht as it sank.
Separately on Tuesday, it was confirmed that Mr Lynch’s co-defendant Stephen Chamberlain, 52, had died after being hit by a car while jogging in Cambridgeshire on Saturday.
His family described him as a “beloved husband, father, son, brother and friend”.
