Six people are missing and one man has died after a yacht sank due to obscure weather conditions near the Sicilian coastline.

Search operations continue to look for the six missing people who were aboard the 56m (183 ft) vessel carrying 22 people (12 passengers and 10 crew members). The British-flagged Bayesian sank off the coast of Palermo when a massive storm created by waterspouts hit early August 19.

So far, fifteen people have been rescued and the search operation continues for those who are still missing. British tech tycoon Mike Lynch is one of the missing. Two Americans are also amongst the six missing.

In the early morning hours of August 19, the yacht was anchored at a sea bed away from the Porticello harbor. Then, a water tornado occurred. This storm was so strong it created waterspouts over the sea.

Witnesses said the Bayesian’s anchor was down at the time of the storm. The aluminum mast split in two causing the boat to sink at around 5:00 a.m. local time.

The one person confirmed dead is thought to have been the yacht cook. He was found away from the wreckage. Among the six people currently missing is the “British Bill Gates” (59) and his 18 year old daughters.Coastguard and firefighters rescued 15 people. Divers went 49 ft under the sea to the boat.

A 1-year-old English girl named Sophie was sent to the Children’s Hospital of Palermo and reunited with her mom. The mom and daughter are reported to be in “good condition.”

PEOPLE reported “fisherman Pietro Asciutto, who witnessed the sinking from his home, per Ansa, I was at home when the tornado hit. I immediately closed all the windows.”

“Then I saw the boat, it had only one mast, it was very large. I saw it sink suddenly … The boat was still floating, then suddenly it disappeared,” he concluded.