CRUEL BEYOND BELIEF TO BE TAKEN ON PRECIPICE OF HER LIFE

IT is "cruel beyond belief" that Mike Lynch's daughter Hannah died on his superyacht as she began adult life, say friends and family.

- Paul Jeeves

The 18-year-old's body was the last to be recovered of the seven people -including her tech tycoon father - who were killed when the £30million sailing vessel Bayesian sank in a freak storm off Sicily.

Hannah, who was just weeks away from starting an English literature degree at Oxford University, was described last night as "loving and deeply considerate".

One grieving family friend said that the country had lost "one of our brightest stars".

Hannah's elder sister Esme, who had not been on the Mediterranean trip, paid tribute to her yesterday, saying: "Hannah often burst into my bedroom and lay down with me. Sometimes beaming with a smile, sometimes cheeky, sometimes for advice.

"No matter what, she brought boundless love to me. She was endlessly caring, passionately mad, unintentionally hilarious and the most amazing, supportive and joyful sister and best friend to me.

"And on top of all this, she had even more love to give endlessly to all her friends, and passion to give to her incredible studies and goals. She is my little angel, my star."

Her mother Angela Bacares was said to be "inconsolable" last night after the deaths of both Hannah and Mike, 59, were confirmed.

The 47-year-old had managed to reach the safety of a life raft with 14 other passengers and crew members as the 184ft yacht overturned off Porticello at 4am on Monday.

Sushovan Hussain, 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. I have known Mike for over 40 years, since our school days. I was thrilled when he was acquitted [in a US fraud trial] and now his departure leaves an unfillable hole in my life.