Fears are mounting for two Britons among 17 people missing off the Egyptian coast after their diving boat was reportedly thrown onto its side by a freak wave early today.
The boat named Sea Story reportedly sank near Shaab Satayah, a coral reef popular for diving trips, off the tourist resort of Marsa Alam in the early hours of the morning.
Red Sea governor Mayor General Amr Hanafy has confirmed that 28 people were rescued in the Wadi el Gemal area south of Marsa Alam, but a major search operation was launched to find 17 others still missing.
Two British tourists have been rescued, while the other two Britons are among those still missing, the BBC understands.
The boat was carrying 31 tourists of various nationalities – among them four Britons and two Americans – as well as 14 Egyptian crew members on board, according to local media outlet Masrawy.
There were reportedly also four tourists from Germany, five Spaniards, two Belgians, one Chinese, three Slovaks, two Swiss, two Poles, two Norwegians, one Finn, one Irish and four Egyptian holidaymakers on the ship.
One crew member sent out a distress signal at 5.30am before dropping off the radar and losing contact.
It was not immediately clear what caused the wooden-hulled motor yacht to sink, but one surviving crew member claimed they were ‘hit by a wave in the middle of the night, throwing the vessel on its side’, according to a manager of a diving resort close to the rescue operations.
Medics and people wait for possible survivors after a boat sank at a harbour in Marsa Alam, Red Sea Governorate, in Egypt, 25 November 2024
Survivors of the sinking boat rest at a harbor in Marsa Alam, Red Sea Governorate, in Egypt, 25 November 2024
The boat was carrying 31 tourists of various nationalities – among them four Britons and two Americans – as well as 14 Egyptian crew members on board, according to local media outlet Masrawy (pictured: people waiting on the beach for survivors)
The boat named Sea Story (pictured) had 31 tourists of different nationalities as well as 14 crew members on board when it sank
Medics wait for possible survivors after a boat sank at a harbour in Marsa Alam, Red Sea Governorate, in Egypt, 25 November 2024
The boat departed on a diving trip from the port of Ghalib in Marsa Alam on November 24 and was scheduled to arrive at Hurghada Marina on November 29.
Some of the survivors were reportedly flown back to shore by a helicopter to receive medical care, while others were transported via another boat.
The search was reportedly made more difficult due to bad weather, which comes after authorities in the Red Sea capital of Hurghada on Sunday shut down marine activities and the city’s port – also due to ‘bad weather conditions’.
But winds around Marsa Alam had remained favourable until Sunday night, the diving manager told AFP, before calming again by morning.
By Monday afternoon, it became increasingly ‘unlikely that the 17 missing would be rescued after 12 hours in the water,’ he said, requesting anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media.
Authorities have not confirmed the nationalities of the tourists and it is unclear who is among the rescued and who is still missing.
The Chinese embassy in Egypt said Monday two of its nationals were ‘in good health’ after being ‘rescued in the cruise ship sinking accident in the Red Sea’, Chinese state media reported.
Polish foreign ministry spokesman Pawel Wronski said authorities ‘have information that two of the tourists may have had Polish citizenship’.
The Finnish foreign ministry confirmed to AFP news agency that one of its nationals is also among the missing.
Medics and people wait for possible survivors after a boat sank at a harbour in Marsa Alam, Red Sea Governorate, in Egypt, 25 November 2024
People were waiting for possible survivors on the shore as the search operation for 17 people missing continues
Medics and people wait for possible survivors after a boat sank at a harbour in Marsa Alam, Red Sea Governorate, in Egypt, 25 November 2024
An ambulance is parked at the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Hurghada after a tourist boat sank off Red Sea coast, Egypt November 25, 2024
The boat reportedly sank near Shaab Satayah (pictured), a coral reef popular for diving trips, off the tourist resort of Marsa Alam this morning
The boat has a total of 18 twin cabins with en-suite bathrooms on board, which are used for tourists on diving trips hoping to explore the Red Sea reefs
On one of the four decks, the Sea Story has a whirlpool and sun loungers
‘That’s all we know about them. That’s all we can say for now,’ he told national news agency PAP.
A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office told MailOnline: ‘We are providing consular support to a number of British nationals and their families following an incident in Egypt and are in contact with the local authorities.’
The firm that operates the yacht, Dive Pro Liveaboard in Hurghada, Egypt, said it has no information on the matter.
Ship tracking website Marine Traffic showed the last location shared by the boat as somewhere off Hurghada.
The Sea Story is a 144ft, four-deck pleasure craft built in 2022, which can carry up to 36 passengers.
The boat has a total of 18 twin cabins with en-suite bathrooms on board, which are used for tourists on diving trips hoping to explore the Red Sea reefs.
It is not the first time this year a diving tour boat sank in the Red Sea. Earlier this month, 30 people were rescued from a sinking dive boat near the Red Sea’s famous Deadalus reef.
In June, two dozen French tourists were safely evacuated before their boat sank in a similar accident.
The Sea Story is a 144ft pleasure craft built in 2022, which can carry up to 36 passengers
Ship tracking website Marine Traffic showed the last location shared by the boat as somewhere off Hurghada
The dining room for the passengers on the Sea Story is pictured above
The Red Sea is a popular diving destination renowned for its coral reefs (like the Shaab Satayah pictured above) and marine life, key to Egypt’s vital tourism industry
Last year, three British tourists died after a fire broke out on their yacht, engulfing their vessel in flames.
Dozens of diving boats criss-cross between coral reefs and islands off Egypt’s eastern coast every day, where safety regulations are robust but unevenly enforced.
The Red Sea is a popular diving destination renowned for its coral reefs and marine life, key to Egypt’s vital tourism industry.
Many tourist companies have stopped or limited traveling on the Red Sea due to the dangers from conflicts in the region.
This comes after three British tourists who went missing after their Egyptian diving boat caught fire off the coast of Marsa Alam in June 2023 were confirmed dead by a tour operator.
Scuba Travel, who chartered the boat, announced that the three Brits who ‘perished in the tragic incident’ had chosen not to go diving on June 11, leaving them unable to evacuate the boat quickly.
The tour boat company said that the three passengers were among 15 qualified diving enthusiasts who were on board the ‘Hurricane’ boat for a week-long trip when the fire broke out at around 6.30am UK time.
‘At the time the fire broke out, 12 divers were participating in a briefing on board, while those missing had apparently decided not to dive that morning,’ the company added.
Three British tourists who were reported as missing have been confirmed dead after a boat caught fire during a diving trip in June 2023
Other passengers could be seen dropping down from the boat into nearby crafts in a bid to escape
The wrecked Egyptian diving boat was seen lying on its side as its brought to shore for an investigation
Scuba Travel said that due to to the severity of the blaze, 12 divers were evacuated immediately to a nearby craft, while the 14 crew members had to abandon the ship after trying to reach the missing guests.
Footage on social media showed the tour boat transform into a floating inferno as its stern was engulfed by flames, producing plumes of black smoke while it was off the Elphinstone Reef in the Red Sea.
Video showed terrified passengers jumping from the ship, which had 29 people on board at the time, into the water to escape after a suspected electrical fault in the engine room.
In total, 26 passengers were rescued, 12 British and the other 14 thought to be Egyptian. Local police said the people rescued had no injuries and were in good health.
