Friends Pay Tribute to Hannah Lynch as 6th Body Recovered from Sunken Sicily Yacht: 'Beautiful Soul'

• Hannah Lynch, the daughter of British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch and believed to be the last missing person found, was planning on attending the University of Oxford
• Su Wijeratna, the headmistress at Hannah's former school, called her a “remarkable young woman and a gifted student"
• "The Lynch family is devastated, in shock and is being comforted and supported by family and friends," a spokesperson said in a statement

As the sixth and last body, believed to be that of Hannah Lynch, was recovered on Friday, Aug. 23 after the sinking of the luxury super yacht off the coast of Sicily earlier this week, family and friends of the 18-year-old are remembering her as a “warm and beautiful soul.”

PEOPLE previously reported that the "last person still missing in the Palermo shipwreck is identified," according to Italian coast guard sources on Aug. 23. 

Four bodies were recovered on Wednesday, Aug. 21, while a fifth body was found in the wreckage. Among the dead was British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, an Italian government official confirmed on Thursday, Aug. 22.  

Until the discovery of the sixth body on Aug. 23, Hannah, Mike's daughter, was the last missing person after the Bayesian, a 183-foot vessel, sank on Monday, Aug. 19, when it was hit by a storm. 

Amid Italian authorities’ efforts to find the six missing victims this week following the sinking, tributes have poured in for Hannah, who was planning to begin her academic year at the University of Oxford, where she recently won a place, as reported by The Telegraph.  

Jon Mitropoulos-Monk, the head of English at London’s Latymer Upper School where Hannah previously attended, praised her. “I’ve never taught someone who combined sky-high intellectual ability with warmth and enthusiasm in the way Hannah did,” he said, via The Guardian. “She lit up the classroom with her energy, passion for learning and sheer intelligence (though never with a hint of arrogance).”

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Mitropoulos-Monk said that Hannah was “one of the best English students in the country,” adding that she scored 100% in her English literature GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education). 

“The love Hannah had for everything she held dear was passionate and pure,” said Katya Lewis, a friend, per The Independent. “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.”

In a statement shared with The Telegraph, Su Wijeratna, the headmistress at Latymer, called Hannah a “remarkable young woman and a gifted student.”

“She had the brightest of futures ahead of her and was so excited to be starting Oxford this year, to study her beloved English,” said Wijeratna.

“She was driven by a profound love of words that connected her to the world and her loved ones,” Wijeratna added. “As a community we are shocked and heartbroken over Hannah’s death and we send our thoughts and prayers to her family and all who knew her.”

PEOPLE reached out to Latymer Upper School for comment on Aug. 23.

A spokesperson for the Lynch family released a statement, per the BBC, that read: "The Lynch family is devastated, in shock and is being comforted and supported by family and friends."

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

Prior to the Bayesian’s sinking on Aug. 19 near Porticello, Hannah and her father Mike, the founder of software company Autonomy, were among those aboard the yacht with 20 other people, including Lynch’s wife Angela Bacares. They were reportedly celebrating Mike’s acquittal in June of fraud and conspiracy charges in connection to Autonomy’s sale to Hewlett-Packard in 2011 for $11 billion. Had he been convicted, Mike could have served up to 25 years in prison. 

In an interview with The Sunday Times published last month, Mike said his acquittal in the U.S. fraud trial had given him a "second life." However, he added: "The question is, what do you want to do with it?”

“If this [the verdict] had gone the wrong way, it would have been the end of life as I have known it in any sense," Mike told the newspaper. He also said he had "various medical things that would have made it difficult to survive."

Journalist Danny Fortson, who spoke with Mike for the Times piece, told PEOPLE that he appeared "incredibly grateful and happy," but was still "struggling to accept" his new reality.

In addition to Mike and Hannah, the other four missing persons from the sinking at the time included  Christopher Morvillo, a New York City attorney; his wife, jewelry designer Neda Morvillo; Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of Morgan Stanley International; and his wife, Judy. Their bodies, as well as Mike's, were eventually recovered.

The body of another victim, identified as Recaldo Thomas, a chef, was earlier found shortly after the Bayesian capsized. Meanwhile, Bacares was one of 15 people rescued from the sinking yacht.