The first tributes have been paid to 18-year-old Hannah Lynch after her body was believed to be recovered from her father's luxury yacht. 

Miss Lynch and her father Mike Lynch, the tech businessman, went missing after the Bayesian, the yacht they were travelling on, capsized half a mile off the coast of Sicily during a storm on Monday morning. 

Tributes have been paid to Hannah LynchTributes have been paid to Hannah Lynch (Image: Family Handout/PA Wire)

The Italian coastguard recovered what is believed to be Miss Lynch's body from the yacht, which is resting on the seabed, on Friday. 

The body of Autonomy founder Dr Lynch, 59, was recovered by specialist divers on Friday.

Now tributes have been paid to Miss Lynch by her friend and former teacher.

Her friend Katya Lewis paid tribute to the 18-year-old, saying: "Being with Hannah made me feel whole and happy.

Searches began on Monday morningSearches began on Monday morning (Image: Jonathan Brady/PA)

“She is the most special friend anyone could ask for and I will always love Hannah.”

One of Miss Lynch's former teachers paid tribute to her after her body was recovered from the wreckage, saying: “I will remember her for what she taught me: kindness, compassion and commitment.”

Jon Mitropoulos-Monk, head of English at Latymer Upper School in Hammersmith, said: “I’ve never taught someone who combined sky-high intellectual ability with warmth and enthusiasm in the way Hannah did.”

Dr Lynch lived near Wickham Market in east Suffolk prior to his death.