A luxury yacht sank in the waters near Sicily, and New Zealand lawyer Ayla Ronald was one of the survivors

The owner of the 56-meter sailboat is reportedly British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, who along with his 18-year-old daughter Hannah are among those missing after the boat sank half a mile off the coast of Porticello.

Ronald Lin told telegraph His daughter Ayla, a senior partner at law firm Clifford Chance, was part of the legal team invited on the trip to celebrate Lynch’s recent acquittal in a US fraud case.

Ronald Lin told telegraph His daughter had only texted him to say “there was a death but she and her partner were alive.” Ella’s phone was reportedly the only one with battery, so she had been helping coordinate medical staff, he said.

A body has been found.

Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, was among the 15 people rescued, along with a 1-year-old girl whose mother held her above the waves.

A Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) spokesperson confirmed on Monday that at least one New Zealander was involved in the disaster.

“The New Zealand Embassy in Rome is responding to this matter… The Embassy is working with local authorities to clarify further details,” the spokesperson said.

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