‘Taken on the precipice of her life’: Family and friends pay tribute to Hannah Lynch

The 18-year-old had just won a place at the University of Oxford to read English after receiving her A-level results last week

The first picture of Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah has been released by their family after her body was recovered from the superyacht Bayesian.
Specialist cave divers recovered the body of Miss Lynch from the wreck of the £30 million superyacht on the fifth day of searching. Mr Lynch’s body was recovered earlier in the week.
One friend of the family paid an emotional tribute to the 18-year-old, adding: “We have known Hannah since her birth, and for her to be taken on the precipice of her life is cruel beyond belief. Our hearts bleed for Angela and her remaining daughter.”
Miss Lynch had joined her father, along with other guests, in celebrating the British tech tycoon’s court victory, after he was acquitted of fraud in San Francisco.
A talented student, Miss Lynch was a scholar at Latymer Upper School, West London and a regular prizewinner, receiving an award for outstanding academic achievement last year.
She had just won a place at the University of Oxford to read English after receiving her A-level results last week.
Friends and family have paid tribute to the teenager, describing her as the “most special friend” and “charming and ferociously intelligent”.
Katya Lewis, Hannah’s friend, said: “The love Hannah had for everything she held dear was passionate and pure. She had a warm and beautiful soul. Being with Hannah made me feel whole and happy. She is the most special friend anyone could ask for and I will always love Hannah.”
Jon Mitropoulos-Monk, Head of English at Latymer Upper School, said Miss Lynch scored 100 per cent in her English Literature GCSE.
He said: “I’ve never taught someone who combined sky-high intellectual ability with warmth and enthusiasm in the way Hannah did. She lit up the classroom with her energy, passion for learning and sheer intelligence (though never with a hint of arrogance). One of the best English students in the country, she scored 100 per cent in her English Literature GCSE.
“By age 16, she’d read Joyce, Faulkner and Nabokov. Beyond that, she devoured the writings of Angela Carter, Joseph Conrad and John Donne. She loved literature, learning and life. She was so excited to start studying English at Oxford, a goal she had worked so hard towards. 
“When she got her place, she sought out every single member of the Latymer Upper English Department to thank them individually and give them a hug. She achieved everything she did with extraordinary levels of grace and fortitude that few others can say they possess. I taught Hannah for four years. I will remember her for what she taught me: kindness, compassion and commitment.” 
Sushovan Hussain, also a close friend and colleague of Mike Lynch, said: “My wife and I are utterly devastated by the deaths of so many of our dear friends. No words can express our sorrow.“I have known Mike for over 40 years, since our school days, and for most of that time our lives have been inextricably linked. 
“I was thrilled when he was acquitted and now his departure leaves an unfillable hole in my life. We have known Hannah since her birth, and for her to be taken on the precipice of her life is cruel beyond belief. Our hearts bleed for Angela & her remaining daughter. “Steve was by my side for many years, and I had the honour of calling him, Jonathan, Judy and Chris my good friends. It is truly impossible to fathom how they can all be gone over such a short period. It is tragic beyond words. Sushovan Hussain, close friend and colleague.”
On Thursday, five of the dead were confirmed as Mr Lynch, Jonathan Bloomer, the chairman of Morgan Stanley International bank, and his wife Judy, and Chris Morvillo, a lawyer at Clifford Chance, and his wife Neda. The body of the yacht’s chef was recovered on Monday.
Fifteen of the 22 passengers and crew on board, including Mr Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, were rescued by emergency crews after the yacht suffered catastrophic damage following a waterspout.