Esme Lynch is mourning the loss of her loved ones.
The sister of the late Hannah Lynch, 18, who perished after a super yacht sank off the coast of Sicily following a freak storm along with their dad, Mike Lynch, reflected on her sibling's unexpected passing.
"She is my little angel, my star," Esme, whose mom Angela Bacares was among the 15 survivors, shared in a statement obtained by Sky News earlier this week. "She had even more love to give endlessly to all her friends and passion to give to her incredible studies and goals."
Esme also reminisced about the simple moments she had with her sister, who was set to attend Oxford University this fall.
"Hannah often burst into my bedroom and lay down with me," Esme explained. "Sometimes beaming with a smile, sometimes cheeky, sometimes for advice. No matter what, she brought boundless love to me. She was endlessly caring, passionately mad, unintentionally hilarious and the most amazing, supportive and joyful sister and best friend to me."
A spokesperson for the Lynch family also shared a statement Aug. 23, per The Washington Post, writing that they were "devastated, in shock and is being comforted and supported by family and friends."
"Their thoughts are with everyone affected by the tragedy," the statement continued. "They would like to sincerely thank the Italian coastguard, emergency services and all those who helped in the rescue. Their one request now is that their privacy be respected at this time of unspeakable grief."
Hannah was among the six passengers who went missing on Aug. 19 when their luxury boat was hit by a water tornado called a "waterspout." Days after the incident, the Italian Coast Guard confirmed that they had recovered the body of the final passenger—a woman whose body was found a day after Mike’s was also found. Sources close familiar with the matter confirmed to NBC News that rescuers were still searching for Hannah before the body was recovered.
The others who were recovered were Mike's associates, many of whom were part of his defense during his fraud case, including Morgan Stanley International Chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy Bloomer; lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo, the Director of Sicily’s Civil Protection Agency Salvatore Cocina told NBC News. The body of the ship’s cook, Recaldo Thomas, was also recovered shortly after the incident.
Angela was rescued with nine crew members and two other passengers. Eight were taken to a nearby hospital and the rest were brought to a local hotel. In total, 15 passengers of the 22 passengers survived.
The head of the Palermo Emergency Medical Services, Dr. Fabio Genco, recalled what the survivors had told him and investigators after the storm.
"They told me that it was all dark, that the yacht hoisted itself up and then went down," he shared with NBC News. "All the objects were falling on them. That's why I immediately made sure, by asking them questions, if they had any internal injuries."
"They told me that suddenly they found themselves catapulted into the water without even understanding how they had got there," he continued. "The whole thing seems to have lasted from 3 to 5 minutes."
Keep reading for more boating tragedies...
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