Mum of rescued Brit baby on doomed £14m superyacht Bayesian reveals how little girl was nearly swept away in storm
A BRAVE mum who rescued her one-year-old baby from the sinking £14million superyacht in Sicily has described how she nearly lost her daughter to the waves.
Brit tourist Charlotte Golunski, 35, was onboard the doomed Bayesian yacht when she was woken up by floods of water after the boat was badly damaged by a tornado.
Charlotte managed to grab hold of young Sophia as the pair were forced into the Mediterranean as they battled against the rough weather and choppy waters.
Dad James Emsilie was also onboard at the time of the horror ordeal and wasn’t able to find his family after being swept away by the sea.
The mother told la Repubblica about her terrifying experience, saying: “I held her afloat with all my strength, my arms stretched upwards to keep her from drowning.
“It was all dark. In the water I couldn’t keep my eyes open.
“I screamed for help but all I could hear around me was the screams of others.”
At one point the mother feared she had lost her daughter to the unforgiving sea.
She told Giornale di Sicilia: “For two seconds I lost the baby in the sea, then I immediately hugged her again amidst the fury of the waves.”
After a few seconds, emergency lifeboats were quickly set up by the remaining survivors and nearby fishing boats.
Charlotte managed to swim over to one of the rafts where she and her daughter were taken to safety along with 11 others.
Thunder and lightning reportedly left the yacht “rocking” the moments before it started to fill with water, the couple said.
Charlotte added: “It was hell and my husband and I were struggling to hold ourselves up.”
The daughter was rushed to the Giovanni Di Cristina children’s hospital, in Palermo, after being rescued where she was checked over by doctors.
Dr Domenico Cipolla, head of the emergency room at the paediatric hospital spoke to Charlotte afterwards.
The heroic mum reportedly needed stitches on her chest for a slight graze.
DrCipolla said: “She told me that while they were sleeping, at a certain point the yacht overturned due to the tornado, and they found themselves in the water.
“They are all in good condition. We managed to get the parents to talk on the phone, all the doctors and nurses were all very moved.
“The little girl is fine, the prognosis is good and we are carrying out tests just to be careful.”
At least 15 people were saved by coast guards, patrol boats, firefighters and local fishermen.
Seven other survivors are still in hospital receiving treatment.
Four British tourists are still feared dead after the superyacht was hit by a tornado early on Monday morning.
The lifeless body of one victim who was sailing onboard the doomed Bayesian yacht has already been pulled from the Mediterranean.
For two seconds I lost the baby in the sea, then I immediately hugged her again amidst the fury of the waves
Charlotte
One of the missing Brits is reportedly tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch.
Lynch, a billionaire, was one of the 22 people sailing onboard the vessel, the Telegraph reported this afternoon.
Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, is among those rescued.
Three other Brits and two Americans are among the remaining six missing.
The yacht is believed to have been flooded by water after a tornado off the coast of Porticello, near Palermo, just before 5am local time on Monday morning.
Helicopters, divers, patrol boats and firefighters are all helping with the desperate search of the wreckage.
A man’s body was tragically found underwater alongside the wreck by divers, reports Corriere Della Sera.
Most of those missing were passengers on the £166,000 a week charter.
The charterers said there were 12 guests and 10 crew sailing at the time.