Tributes have been paid to 18-year-old Hannah Lynch after divers recovered her body from the wreck of a luxury yacht that sank off the coast of Sicily.

Hannah was the last person to go missing after the luxury yacht Bayesian sank during a violent storm near the Italian fishing village of Porticello, east of Palermo. A total of seven people died.

Friends described her as a “warm and beautiful soul”, while teachers praised her “towering intellectual powers”.

The body of her father, tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, was recovered from the shipwreck earlier this week.

On Friday, the family published a photo of the two.

In a statement, a spokesperson said: “The Lynch family is devastated and in shock. They are being comforted and supported by family and friends.”

“Their thoughts are with everyone affected by the tragedy. They would like to sincerely thank the Italian coastguard, emergency services and everyone who helped in the rescue operation.”

“Their only request now is that their privacy be respected at this time of unspeakable grief.”

Sushovan Hussain, a close friend and colleague of Lynch, said he and his wife were “completely shocked by the deaths of so many of our dear friends.”

“We have known Hannah since she was born and it is incredibly cruel that she has been forced to the brink of her life,” he added.

“Mike was the most brilliant mind and caring person I have ever known,” said another close friend, Andrew Kanter. “His passion for life, knowledge and everyone around him immediately inspired everyone he met, and he will be greatly missed.”

A total of 15 people survived, including a one year old child and Hannah’s mother, Angela Bacares.

Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer, his wife Judy Bloomer, Clifford Chance attorney Chris Morvillo, his wife Neda Morvillo and the boat’s chef Recaldo Thomas all died in the disaster.

Rescue workers described the operation, which has been underway since Monday, as “complex”, with divers limited to 12-minute underwater services.

After reports emerged that the last body had been found, a coast guard vessel that had been at the site of the shipwreck for hours was seen back in the harbor.

Meanwhile, a helicopter landed nearby, while divers on the dock took off their orange suits.

An Italian coastguard spokesman said a decision on whether to raise the sunken yacht from the seabed was “not on the agenda” but would only be made in the future.

According to search and rescue divers, the ship lay “virtually intact” on the seabed.

Hannah Lynch recently completed her A-levels and was offered a place to study English at Oxford University, the Times reported.

“We are all absolutely shocked by the news,” said a spokesman for Latymer Upper School in Hammersmith, where Hannah previously attended.

“Our thoughts are with their families and everyone involved,” they added.

Gracie Lea, a classmate of Hannah’s, described her as “easy to love: sincere, devoted, fiercely intelligent and genuinely kind. I will always remember her smile.”