Hundreds of mourners gather to say goodbye to Mike Lynch and his teenage daughter after they died in the Bayesian superyacht sinking.

More than 400 mourners gathered for the funeral of British tech billionaire Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter, two months after they died in a superyacht tragedy.

Seven people died when Mr Lynch’s £30 million Bayesian yacht sank in just 16 minutes after being caught in a freak storm off Porticello, a small offshore fishing village from the coast of Sicily, in the early hours of August 19.

Fifteen people – including Mr Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares – survived the tragedy which occurred just months after Mr Lynch was cleared of a multi-billion fraud by a US court involving software giant Hewlett Packard .

An inquest concluded earlier this month that Mr Lynch had drowned, but his daughter’s death remains under investigation.

As Italian authorities continue to investigate the tragedy, some 450 mourners filled St James’s Piccadilly Church in central London on Thursday to bid farewell to Mr Lynch and his daughter.

Mr Lynch’s coffin, covered in a veil with a photograph of the family home in Suffolk, was carried by friends and colleagues into the church.

Hannah, who was due to start studying at Oxford University this year, had her coffin lifted by her classmates at Latymer Upper School, west London. His sheet was decorated with one of his many poems.

Mike Lynch, 59, and Hannah, 18, were among seven people who died when the Bayesian sank in August.

Hannah is pictured cuddling the family Shetland sheepdog, Faucet, her dad’s favorite dog.

A photo made available on August 19 by the Perini Navi press office shows the “Bayesian” sailboat in Palermo, Sicily, Italy.

Behind the coffins was Mr Lynch’s widow, Mrs Bacares, who carried a Shetland sheepdog called Faucet, her husband’s favorite dog. The couple’s eldest daughter, Esmée, 22, also followed, along with three other family dogs.

According to the Sunday Times, mourners entered the church while The Beatles’ Blackbird and Neil Young’s Harvest Moon played.

Standing between the two coffins, Reverend Lucy Winkett told mourners: “I say welcome because you are, but the truth is, of course, no one wants to be here. »

Nobel Prize-winning scientist Sir Paul Nurse hailed Mr Lynch, known as Britain’s “Bill Gates”, for his “massive contribution” to the country.

During the eulogy, he also expressed frustration with the government, which handed Mr Lynch over to US authorities last year.

“How was it possible that he could have been so betrayed by the previous government? Why did he allow such a biased and asymmetrical extradition deal to be implemented between the UK and US, which placed Mike under house arrest in the US, with a real threat of several decades in prison. It was a mistake and, in my opinion, it was shameful, both shameful and brazen,” he said.

“My words are strong because I’m still angry about this.”

The second person to speak was Albert Read, former managing director of Condé Nast UK and a family friend with daughters the same age as the Lynches.

Morgan Stanley boss Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy were among those who died

Lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda (both pictured) did not survive the superyacht tragedy

Recaldo Thomas, head of the Bayesian, was the first person to be recovered after the yacht sank

He told mourners that Mr Lynch was in the running for a knighthood in 2012, but was quietly retracted after the Hewlett Packard allegations.

“Mike shrugged his shoulders and was much prouder to have been elected to the 2014 Royal Society,” Read said.

He added that Mr Lynch had deep “gratitude for the loyalty of those who supported him during these difficult years”.

After the second hymn, Jerusalem, the emotional service moved to remembering Hannah, whom the former head of English described as a special student.

She was the last of the seven to be found, four days after the sinking, her body hidden behind a mattress below deck.

Jon Mitropoulos-Monk, head of the English department at Latymer, told the church: “I have a first-class double English degree from Oxford. At 17, Hannah is more capable than I was at 17, and in many ways, she is capable of more than I am now.

Two of Hannah’s closest friends also spoke of her appetite for reading and debating, her late nights at Latino camp talking about boys or the meaning of life.

An Italian fire brigade dive team returns to port on the fifth day of the search and recovery operation after the luxury yacht Bayesian sank in a storm.

Others read his poetry, while a musician played Just Like Heaven by Cure.

This was followed by a sermon, the Our Father and the commendation.

The pallbearers lifted the coffins and walked back down the aisle, passing Esme and Angela, while the guitarist sang Alphaville’s Forever Young.

The coffins of Mr. Lynch and his daughter both had a packet of their favorite candy tied to the side.

The funeral took place almost exactly two months after the Bayesian sank off the coast of Sicily.

A total of 10 passengers and 12 crew members were on board when it sank. The bodies of the deceased, including Mr Lynch and Hannah, were found after several days of searching by divers.

Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer, 70, his wife Judy, 71, Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo were all found dead. Hannah was the last to be found.

The yacht’s chef, Recaldo Thomas, was also immediately found at the scene.