The search for seven tourists lost in the Red Sea is ‘intensifying’ as remarkable stories of bravery emerged from Egyptian locals who rushed to help survivors.
Two Brits are among those missing and feared dead in the Sea Story yacht wreckage, as the search off the coast of Masra Alam in Egypt enters its fourth day. The 144ft boat had been carrying 31 holidaymakers and 13 crew on a five-day diving excursion when it was capsized by a huge wave in the early hours of Monday.
Four people have died and 33 others have been rescued as the Egyptian navy and coastguard said they were ‘intensifying efforts’ to retrieve all those on board today. But among the first on the scene were a frontline of diving captains whose centres and jetties have served hundreds if not thousands of tourists hoping to explore this reef.
As the Mirror landed on the shores of Wadi El Gemal where the survivors have returned, one such captain told how he woke up to a call from the coastguard asking for help. He said: “I was sleeping when I heard the call come through, it was not long after 5.15am. The coastguard told me that there was a boat in trouble.
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Andy Stenning/Daily Mirror)
“There are not many diving centres along this coast and we always work together and try to help each other in case of emergency. Straight away we started to put together our plan. We stopped all the divers for the day because we needed to use all the boats we had for searching.
“Unfortunately we didn’t manage to find or rescue anyone but another captain based in Hamata managed to collect nine people and take them to safety.”
This nameless hero was not only instrumental in the rescue effort, but has also offered up his diving centre as a sanctuary to the survivors. Many of them had been camping here after escaping the ordeal with just cuts and bruises.
And in another miraculous turn five more passengers were rescued late on Tuesday evening after surviving for more that 24 hours trapped inside one the cabins which had not filled with water.
As they arrived back on land for the first time since Sunday they were visibly shaking, overwhelmed and struggling to keep warm with hooded blankets draped over their shoulders. One woman bowed her head and wept as she stepped foot onto the Port of Masra Alam while a man who couldn’t stop smiling told cameras: “It is very nice to be back”.
Those killed in the wreck have not yet been formally identified, so it remains unknown whether the two British tourists are still lost at sea. Now fears have been raised about how long the wreck will be afloat, as one captain told us it had already drifted another 10km away from the coast, into shark-infested waters yesterday.
He said: “The boat is drifting away at a fast pace. On Tuesday it was around 40km away but now it is more than 50km, you would never be able to see it from the coast, and in that area there are sharks. All the food on board that will have sunk with it like the chicken and meat will attract sharks.
“We very much hope that we can find all the remaining passengers alive, that is what all of us want.” Officials say the investigation into the incident is ongoing.
The Egyptian Meteorological Authority had warned about rough weather, advising against maritime activity for Sunday and Monday on the Red Sea. The boat, owned by Hurghada-based firm Dive Pro Liveaboards was built in 2022 and fitted out for 36 passengers in 18 cabins.
The boat had passed a thorough safety inspection in March this year, but it is the second boat owned by the firm to suffer a tragedy at sea this year. Another vessel with the company burst into flames on the water in February after hitting a coral reef in shallow waters.
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