After Yacht Sinking Tragedy, Family of Exec Jonathan Bloomer and Wife Judy Say ‘Only Comfort’ Is They’re ‘Together’

The family of Morgan Stanley International chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy are speaking out after the Sicily yacht tragedy.

Bloomer and his wife were among the 22 passengers on the Bayesian when it sank around 5 a.m. local time on Monday, Aug. 19 off the coast of Porticello, though it remains unclear why exactly it went down so quickly.

In the aftermath of the sinking, 15 people were rescued and the body of the yacht’s chef, Recaldo Thomas, was found nearby, while six people were reported as missing: Bloomer and his wife; British tech businessman Mike Lynch and his daughter Hannah; as well as New York City-based lawyer Christopher Morvillo and his wife, Neda.

PEOPLE previously reported that five bodies had since been found. Although the Italian coast guard has not yet begun formally identifying the bodies that have been recovered, an official with the Italian interior ministry told Reuters that Lynch’s daughter is the individual who remains missing.

In a statement obtained by the BBC and Sky News on Thursday, Aug. 22, Jonathan and Judy’s family described the couple as “incredible people and an inspiration to many.”

“But first and foremost they were focused on and loved their family and spending time with their new grandchildren,” they added.

“Together for five decades, our only comfort is that they are still together now,” their statement added. “This is an unimaginable grief to shoulder. Our only ask is that our family’s privacy is respected at this time.”

The CEO of a London-based insurance company that Jonathan was the chairman of has also said they are “deeply shocked and saddened.”

“Our deepest sympathies go out to their family and friends at this devastating time,” Aki Hussain, Hiscox Group CEO, said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE.

“It was a privilege to have known Jonathan and to have benefitted from his generosity and wisdom over the last year in his role as Chair of Hiscox,” Hussain added. “His deep experience across our industry and in the broader business arena, combined with his personal values, made him both an excellent Chair and a person I was proud to know and work with. His advice and support were immensely valuable to me, and he will be dearly missed.”

In a separate statement obtained by PEOPLE, Morgan Stanley Chief Executive Ted Pick remembered Jonathan as “mentor to many,” and said that “we will all greatly miss his wise counsel and spirit of kindness.”

“We are deeply saddened by this tragic news. Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the Bloomer family and all those affected by this tragedy,” Pick said.

Meanwhile, Judy, who was a teacher before spending nearly 30 years working as a psychotherapist, has been remembered as a “wonderful friend,” according to the BBC.

She was also a former Trustee for The Eve Appeal, a U.K.-based charity that funds research and raises awareness for gynecological cancers.

“Everyone at the charity is deeply shocked to hear the news,” CEO Athena Lamnisos wrote in a statement on X (formerly known as Twitter), after news spread that the Bloomers were among the missing.

Lamnisos added, “Our thoughts are with Judy and Jonathan’s family, and all those who are still waiting for news after this tragic event.”