Brother of missing billionaire on yacht says missing people could still be alive due to 'air pockets'

The twin brother of missing billionaire Jonathan Bloomer who was on board the superyacht which sank off the coast of Italy said he has not given up hope on him yet - and that there might be air pockets possibly keeping him alive.

Jeremy Bloomer said he has felt 'numb' since learning the news that the £14 million vessel which his sibling was holidaying on with his wife Judy had capsized at around 5am local time on Monday (19 August) near Sicily.

Chilling CCTV captured how the boat 'vanished in 60 seconds' as a waterspout tornado reportedly struck while the yacht - named Bayesian - was anchored, seeing it disappear below the surface.

Rescuers managed to save 15 passengers with the help of a heroic captain, but tragically, several people - including the tech tycoon dubbed the 'British Bill Gates' - still remain missing.

The search for Mike Lynch, his daughter Hannah, Morgan Stanley chairman Jonathan, his wife, Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo has now entered it's third day.

Despite the time that has passed, Jeremy said he is keeping his 'fingers crossed' that he will be reunited with his twin.

Speaking to the BBC, he said his family is 'coping the best they can' amid the ordeal, but added they are holding out hope that Jonathan, 70, might have been able to find an air pocket in the sunken vessel.

Discussing the ongoing search, Jeremy explained: "It's a slow process and it will take time. So there might be air pockets, but we don't know.

"He was my older [brother] by half an hour. So it means a lot when you lose a twin brother.

"It's still wait and see, so fingers crossed."

Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy were onboard the ill-fated yacht (PA)

Jeremy described the situation as 'terrible' and something that's 'beyond your wildest imagination', before adding: "I'm just numb, just numb. That's it, you don't know what to think and you can't believe it's happened."

Experts have suggested that air pockets could in fact have formed as the yacht sank so quickly.

Dr Jean-Baptiste Souppez, a senior lecturer of mechanical, biomedical and design engineering at Aston University said that the fact the Bayesian is intact on it's side 'could favour the formation of small air pockets inside'.

"This is obviously highly speculative and impossible to predict accurately," he told Sky.

The Italian coastguard has not yet ruled out the theory that the missing passengers may be alive, as like Jeremy suspects, they could have access to an air pocket.

His twin brother hopes the missing passengers have access to an air pocket (ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images)

Vincenzo Zagarola said rescuers are working under the assumption that they are 'still inside the boat'.

He told PA news agency: “We think they are still inside the boat, that is our very hard idea. Our search and rescue activity by sea and air has gone on for around 36 hours.

"Of course, we do not exclude that they are not inside the boat, but we know the boat sank quickly," Zagarola said. "We suppose that the six people missing may not have had time to get out of the boat."

On the chances of the six being alive, he added: "Never say never, but reasonably the answer should be not."

Fire fighter Vigili del Fuoco has referred to the search operation as 'complex', while explaining that underwater divers have been taking 12-minute shifts to visit the wreckage.

Brit entrepreneur Brent Hoberman, who has been friends with missing Mike Lynch for 28 years, is also optimistic.

He told the BBC that he believes his 'quick-witted and smart' friend could still have 'an amazing second act'.