The bodies of a man and woman from Kent have been recovered after a yacht sank off the Italian coast.

Husband and wife Jonathan and Judy Bloomer were onboard the Bayesian when it was struck by storms and sunk near Porticello at around 5am on Monday.

The couple, from Sevenoaks, were two of six missing tourists rescue divers and emergency services were trying to find in the wreckage.

The bodies of five of the missing people have now been recovered, including Mr and Mrs Bloomer.

They went missing after the yacht went down in high winds along with tech tycoon Mike Lynch, his 18-year-old daughter Hannah Lynch, as well as Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda.

Speaking about their deaths, the Bloomer family described the couple as “incredible people”.

A statement released today said: "We are grieving for our loved ones and all of those affected by the tragedy. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the emergency services and everyone who helped tirelessly in this rescue operation.

"Our parents were incredible people and an inspiration to many, but first and foremost they were focused on and loved their family and spending time with their new grandchildren. Together for five decades, our only comfort is that they are still together now.

"This is an unimaginable grief to shoulder. Our only ask is that our family's privacy is respected at this time."

Mr Lynch and Mr and Mrs Morvillo were the other three bodies recovered from the wreckage, the Italian coastguard has confirmed. Miss Lynch is still missing.

Mr Bloomer was the chairman of Morgan Stanley International Bank and had another business on companies house registered in the area.

Mr Bloomer was a former honorary treasurer of children’s charity NSPCC which says it is “deeply saddened” by his death.

Charity chairman Neil Berkett said: “We remember Jonathan from his time with us as a very kind individual with a great sense of humour and Judy as formidable and passionate.

"We are so grateful for everything they did for children and the NSPCC and our thoughts are with their family, friends and colleagues at this desperately sad time."

On Wednesday afternoon, body bags were taken back to the port of Porticello where dozens of emergency services staff were waiting after they were seen being pulled from the water.

A team of four British inspectors from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) also arrived in Italy on Wednesday to look at the site of the sinking.

The MAIB is looking into what happened because the yacht Bayesian was flying a British flag, it is understood.

A helicopter was drafted in to help the search effort, as divers from the local fire service were seen entering the water with torches attached to their headgear.

A police boat and divers were also seen entering the water on Wednesday afternoon.

Fire crews from the Vigili del Fuoco said they have been accessing the vessel through natural entrances, without making openings.

Remotely controlled underwater vehicles are being used, with naval units and cave divers also taking part in the search, the Italian Coastguard has said.

Bayesian was moored around half a mile off the coast of Porticello when it sank at about 5am local time on Monday as the area was hit by a storm.

Local fisherman Giuseppe Cefalu told the PA news agency through a translator that he saw a “tornado” close to the port of Porticello, and he and his brother Fabio saw a flare in the sky at around 5am.

The pair aided efforts to locate people in the water after the yacht sank, but Mr Cefalu said he only saw cushions and a buoy.

He said weather conditions on the morning of the sinking were “fierce”, with “very strong” wind and rain.

Mr Lynch, who founded software giant Autonomy in 1996, was cleared in June of conducting a massive fraud relating to an 11 billion US dollar (£8.64 billion) sale to US company Hewlett Packard.

The boat trip appears to have been a celebration of his acquittal.

The Financial Times reported that Mr Bloomer appeared at trial as a defence witness for Mr Lynch while media reports suggest the pair are close friends.

The British ambassador to Italy, Ed Llewellyn, met some of the survivors of the sinking at a hotel.

He said: “I’ve spoken to some of the British survivors both yesterday and today – I want to express my deep sympathy from myself and colleagues at the British Embassy for what’s happened.

“We’re doing what we can to support them in this incredibly sad and difficult situation to help them with contacts from the Italian authorities at a practical level.”

A spokesperson for Morgan Stanley said the bank was “shocked and saddened”, while Clifford Chance said it was a “tragic incident”.

An Italian newspaper reported the vessel had mostly British passengers on board, but also people from New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Ireland and British-French citizens.

One of the survivors, British tourist Charlotte Emsley, told la Repubblica she held her one-year-old daughter, Sofia, to stop her from drowning.

She said: “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.”

Charlotte and Sofia were treated in hospital, as was Sofia’s father, James Emsley.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch said four of its inspectors have been deployed to Palermo.