Egypt tourist boat latest: Diver reveals survivors pulled from cabins 40 feet underwater on sunken yacht
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.A diver has revealed that survivors were “trapped inside the boat cabins” of the sunken Egyptian vessel in the Red Sea.
The Sea Story boat capsized with 44 people onboard early on Monday morning. While 28 people were rescued on Monday and five on Tuesday, the authorities have recovered four bodies.
Seven people remain missing with the search efforts still underway, the Egyptian military spokesman said. Two Britons who were on the boat are yet to be accounted for, and it is not clear whether they are among the dead - who have not been identified - or remain missing.
According to diver Khattab al-Faramawy, the yacht is largely submerged with just half a metre poking above water.
“We dived 12m (40ft) under water - the survivors were trapped inside the boat cabins,” he told the BBC on Wednesday. It was a “complicated mission” as they had to “find our way into the darkness”.
One of the people Mr al-Faramaway rescued was his nephew, who got locked in one of the cabins while he was trying to save the passengers on board.
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.
Two British passengers are stiull unaccounted for as the search enters a critical third day. It is unconfirmed whether they are among the four bodies which have been recovered from the sunken boat.
German and Polish nationals are believed to make up some of those who are missing.
Mapped: Where did the yacht sink?
Irish foreign minister says citizen onboard yacht is ‘OK’ - reports
An Irish citizen who was on board a tourist yacht which sank in the Red Sea off Egypt on Monday is safe, Irish media cited foreign minister Micheál Martin as saying.
“My understanding is that Irish citizen is OK and receiving consular assistance from the Department of Foreign Affairs,” Mr Martin told reporters in Dublin on Tuesday morning, according to RTE.
Boat tragedy echoes similar incident in June 2023
The sinking of a diving boat in the Red Sea off the coast of Egypt has shocked the region and many across the world.
Three bodies have now been recovered, with 13 people still lost at sea as rescue efforts continue.
It is not the first such incident on a diving boat in the Red Sea. in June 2023, three British tourists died after a diving boat burst into flames.
They were part of a group of 15 qualified divers. The remaining 12 divers and 13 crew members evacuated the vessel.
Here is our report from last June:
Three British tourists confirmed dead after diving boat fire in Egypt
Tour operator says 12 others were on board when the fire broke out
UK Foreign Office reiterates previous statement
The UK’s Foreign Office says it is providing support to a “number of British nationals and their families” following an incident in Egypt.
After The Independent asked if there was any updated information on the status of two missing British nationals who are still unaccounted for, the FCDO reiterated its statement from yesterday with no new information.
The spokesperson said: “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.”
Some reports have suggested the two Britons are among the seven people who remain missing. But the identities of the four bodies recovered by rescuers have not yet been confirmed, meaning it cannot yet be ruled out that the Britons are included.
Diver rescued his nephew from sunken yacht
Khattab al-Faramawy, the diver who revealed that survivors were pulled from their cabins where they had been trapped after the Sea Story vessel sunk, has shared more details of the rescue effort.
His 23-year-old nephew Youssef, a diving instructor, was among those that he rescued on Tuesday.
Youssef’s father, Hussam, broke down in tears after discovering his son was alive, and only told his son’s mother what was happening “after I realised that [Youssef] survived”.
"He was trying to save the passengers on board but got locked in one of the cabins,” Mr al-Faramawy (Hussam) told the BBC.
Youssef is being treated in a local hospital, the broadcaster reports.
Survivors were ‘trapped inside cabins’, says rescue diver
A diver who rescued survivors of the Sea Story yacht has revealed that some were “trapped inside the boat cabins” before being rescued.
The yacht is largely submerged, with less than half a metre of the boat still above water, Khattab al-Faramawy told the BBC.
“We dived 12m (40ft) under water - the survivors were trapped inside the boat cabins,” he said, adding that it was a “complicated mission” due to darkness.
“My heart goes out to the families of the dead, and I hope they will find all the missing passengers alive,” he added.
Watch: Rescuers help survivors of boat sunk off Red Sea coast as four Britons feared missing
Watch as rescuers help Egyptian yacht survivors after the Sea Story boat sank off the Red Sea coast.
Four Britons are among dozens of people feared missing after a tourist yacht sank off the coast of Egypt on Monday (25 November).
The boat sank off the south of the Egyptian coastal town of Marsa Alam with 31 tourists of various nationalities on board along with 14 crew members.
A surviving crew member said the boat was “hit by a wave in the middle of the night, throwing the vessel on its side”.
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 it is unclear whether the rafts were used.
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.
Around 56 hours in, the search continues for seven missing people
Around 56 hours since the Sea Story vessel capsized in the Red Sea, the search for seven people missing on the tourist yacht continues.
The governor of the Red Sea region, Amr Hanafy, said rescuers were still searching for the missing people after a total of 33 people were rescued.
The Sea Story was carrying 44 people, including 31 foreign nationals from the UK, the US, Germany, Poland, Belgium, Switzerland, Finland, China, Slovakia, Spain and Ireland, when it was struck by a large wave.
The governor said he visited the site where the vessel sank and said those rescued were airlifted to receive medical treatment.
Those who survived suffered only bruises and abrasions and were taken to a hotel in Marsa Alam in good condition.
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