Egypt tourist boat latest: Survivors used ‘20cm air pockets’ to stay alive in ‘complete darkness’
Two Britons are still unaccounted for after a yacht sunk in Egypt’s Red Sea
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Your support makes all the difference.Survivors of the sunken Egyptian vessel which capsized in the Red Sea used 20cm air pockets to stay alive for around 30 hours, a family member has revealed.
The survivors battled for their lives in “complete darkness”, as they shared a small pocket of a cabin in which they were trapped for more than a day in “cold water”, Hussam al-Faramawy told The Times.
Mr al-Faramawy’s son Youssef, was a diving instructor rescued from the yacht. Youssef had “sent out a distress signal” along with the vessel’s captain, before going to help a man and woman who were “trapped in a cabin”.
He was among the five people rescued on Tuesday over a day after the boat capsized. This brought the total number of people rescued to 33, after 28 were rescued on Monday.
Four bodies were recovered from the boat on Tuesday, with seven people still remain missing.
According to the AFP news agency, two Britons were among those rescued on Monday. But two Britons remain unaccounted for, and according to some reports are among the seven missing.
Pictured: How the rescue unfolded
What is the timescale of the Red Sea boat disaster?
On Saturday, the Egyptian Meteorological Authority forecast high seas on the Red Sea, with 40mph winds and 12-foot waves, and advised against maritime activity for Sunday and Monday.
On Sunday, Sea Story left Port Ghalib, just north of the resort of Marsa Alam, on a routine five-day voyage. On board: 13 crew and 31 divers.
Early on Monday morning the vessel capsized after being struck by a large wave, according to the accounts of survivors. The crew managed to send out a distress call at around 5:30am, and 28 of the people on board were rescued that day.
Search efforts continued into the evening on Monday, before they resumed on Tuesday morning.
On Tuesday, Egyptian authorities recovered four bodies and rescued five people, bringing the total up to 33.
Going into the third day of the search on Wednesday, seven people remained missing.
Watch: Red Sea yacht survivor speaks for first time after rescue
A survivor of the Egypt tourist yacht that sank in the Red Sea off Egypt on Monday (26 November) thanked his rescuers in an emotional exchange on Tuesday.
The Belgian tourist told officials “It’s very nice to be back” as five people were rescued alive, bringing the total number of survivors to 33.
“I really appreciate [the rescue efforts of the Egyptian military],” he added, before thanking them for his welcome onboard and the warm shower he was given after he had been “shaking with cold”.
Egypt tourist yacht survivor’s first words as five more rescued after boat sinks
A survivor of the Egypt tourist yacht that sank in the Red Sea off Egypt on Monday (26 November) thanked his rescuers in an emotional exchange on Tuesday. The Belgian tourist told officials "It's very nice to be back" as five people were rescued alive, bringing the total number of survivors to 33. Two British passengers remain among seven missing people as the search enters a critical third day. German and Polish nationals are believed to make up the others who are unaccounted for.
Poland and Germany say their nationals missing
The Polish foreign ministry said on Tuesday that two Polish nationals, a man and a woman, are still missing in the Egypt boat tragedy.
Addressing reporters, spokesperson Paweł Wroński said the families of those missing have been notified.
Meanwhile, the German foreign ministry said on Tuesday that three Germans remain missing while three others have been rescued.
Update from the Egyptian Military
In a post on Facebook, the Egyptian military spokesman said: “Following the assignment of the General Command of the Armed Forces of the Navy to intensify efforts in search and rescue operations for survivors and missing people in the accident of the tourist boat sinking (SE-story), the Navy continued its efforts in search work in the area of the accident south of the city of Morsa Alam in the Red Sea province.
“Efforts resulted in finding 9 people of different nationalities, among them, 5 are alive and 4 are dead.
“Medical ambulances were provided to the survivors in cooperation with the executive authorities of the Red Sea Governorate, and the Navy continues its efforts to find the remains of the missing persons.”
In pictures: Survivors brought to safety
Capsized vessel had enough escape rafts for 50 people
The capsized Sea Story vessel had enough “safety rafts” for everyone on board the boat, its specifications show.
On the Dive Pro Liveaboard website, the company which owns and operates the boat, Sea Story is listed with “two safety rafts for 25 persons each”. There were 44 people on board the boat.
But according to Red Sea regional governor Amr Hanafi, some people were stuck in their cabins when a huge wave struck the boat and it began to capsize.
The website says that each cabin had life jackets inside.
The four-deck boat has 18 twin cabins, a lounge, and a bar. It is 44 meters long and 9 meters wide, the specifications add.
Egypt tourist yacht survivors gather after boat sinks in Red Sea
Is the Red Sea a dangerous part of the world for shipping?
Not especially – except for Houthi activity – but there can be some intense thunderstorms.
The worst maritime disaster in the Red Sea occurred in 2006, when a ferry from Duba in Saudi Arabia to Safaga in Egypt sank after a fire on board and subsequent efforts to extinguish it. Around 1,000 passengers lost their lives, with bad weather thought to have contributed to the appallingly high death toll.
The Foreign Office warns: “Overcrowding and poor safety standards have caused accidents on Red Sea ferries and Nile cruises.”
In June 2023 three British tourists died in a fire aboard another dive boat, Hurricane, close to the spot Sea Story sank.
What is the best advice for someone considering a diving holiday in Egypt?
Egypt has a much higher risk level than the UK, so the whole journey should be considered. The Foreign Office says: “[Road accidents are common because of poor road conditions, dangerous driving and poor traffic law enforcement.
“Serious bus crashes in recent years have caused many deaths, including tourists.
“There have also been fatal train collisions and derailments.”
The best protection is afforded by booking a proper package (flights, accommodation and activities) through a UK operator, who do all they can to ensure it is a safe experience. But ultimately safety standards are not up to British standards.
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