Survivors of a deadly dive-boat accident in the Red Sea last year have raised serious concerns about how the aftermath of the incident was handled.
The tourist yacht named Sea Story sank off the coast of Egypt’s Red Sea on 25 November 2024, with 46 people on board. A total of four bodies were recovered, and seven people are still missing, including two British divers.
Sea Story, a 34-metre, four-deck yacht built in 2022, was on a five-day diving trip when it went down near the coral reef of Shaab Satayah, south of the coastal town of Marsa Alam.
Five people were found alive in the wreck after surviving in “20cm air pockets” for over 30 hours following the sinking.
Now, survivors have accused Egyptian authorities and the boat’s operator, Dive Pro Liveaboard, of pressuring them to sign statements they could not understand after the sinking, attempting to deflect blame, and ignoring safety failings on the vessel.
According to a new investigation by the BBC, published today (15 January 2025), survivors of the sinking say they were interrogated shortly after their rescue, with some questioned from hospital beds by individuals they were told were judges.
Witness statements were reportedly translated into Arabic by a Dive Pro Liveaboard employee before being handed to investigators. Survivors allege this posed a conflict of interest, with several of those interviewed by the BBC expressing concerns about the accuracy of the translations. Norwegian survivor Frøydis Adamson described signing documents in Arabic without understanding their content, stating, “They could have written anything. I don’t know what I signed.”
Attempts to secure waivers releasing the boat operator from liability were also reported. Survivors allege that company representatives presented such waivers during questioning and again when survivors were leaving for Cairo. Justin Hodges, an American diver, told the BBC: “The fact he tried to get us to release liability at that moment was insane to me.” Survivors also claim they were not provided copies of their signed statements.
Some of those interviewed during the investigation say they refused to sign the document.
Efforts by authorities to attribute the sinking to a “huge wave” have been questioned. Survivors said wave conditions did not prevent swimming, and a “leading oceanographer” who analysed weather data confirmed to the BBC that reports of large waves were inconsistent with meteorological evidence and “strongly supports” the survivors recollections of the conditions on the night.
Survivors, including Spanish diver Hissora Gonzalez, believe the investigation’s conclusion was predetermined, with Gonzalez recounting how she was told, “The only one responsible for this is the sea.”
Multiple survivors told the BBC they were told that if they wanted to hold anyone responsible, they had to name an individual and specific crime of which they were accused.
Two Britons, Jenny Cawson and Tarig Sinada, are among the missing. Friends and family of the couple allege a lack of transparency from Egyptian authorities, citing conflicting and incomplete information about the incident. Andy Williamson, a friend, told the BBC, “It would appear that Egyptian authorities are doing their very best to kind of sweep this under the carpet.”
The Red Sea is a major hub for Egypt’s tourism industry, renowned for its coral reefs and diving spots. However, concerns about the safety of dive boats in the Red Sea are not new. A 2022 report by Maritime Survey International found significant safety deficiencies on inspected vessels, including the absence of stability books, watertight bulkheads, and safety management systems. The report concluded that the region’s dive boat industry operates largely without effective regulation.
In 2024, the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) published an update on accidents involving dive boats operating in the Red Sea. The branch has made public its worry of ‘serious concerns with safety’ with some of the boats and is preparing a safety bulletin for publication, setting out the areas of concern that individuals should take into account before booking a diving holiday in the region.
The survivors and families of victims continue to call for an independent investigation into the sinking and broader safety practices within the Red Sea dive boat industry.
Accidents under fresh scrutiny include the 42-metre Carlton Queen’s capsize on 24 April 2023, which resulted in the liveaboard being abandoned and all passengers being rescued. Another is Hurricane, which caught fire on 11 June 2023. The accident took the lives of three UK nationals.
Both Dive Pro Liveaboard and the Egyptian government declined to comment on the BBC’s findings.
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