Egypt Continues Search for 7 Missing People in Red Sea Boat Incident

For the third consecutive day, search and rescue operations continued for 7 missing people in the sinking of the tourist boat “Sea Story” off the coast of Marsa Alam, Red Sea Governorate, Egypt.

The incident occurred last Monday when the boat capsized during a diving and safari trip. The boat was carrying 31 tourists of various nationalities, along with a crew of 13 sailors and divers. It was hit by “a shock from a large wave, which led to its capsizing,” according to the Red Sea Governorate.

The Egyptian military spokesperson stated on Wednesday that the naval forces continued their efforts in searching the area, resulting in the discovery of 9 people of different nationalities. Among them, 5 are alive, and 4 bodies were recovered. Medical assistance was provided to the survivors in cooperation with the executive authorities of the Red Sea Governorate. The naval forces continue their efforts to locate the remaining missing individuals, in line with the General Command’s directive to intensify search and rescue operations for both survivors and the missing.

Red Sea Governor Amr Hanafy announced on Tuesday that the list of survivors includes people from various nationalities (Belgian, Swiss, Finnish, Egyptian), with 33 people rescued and 4 bodies recovered, bringing the total number of people pulled from the water to 37 alive. Search operations are still ongoing for the remaining 7 missing individuals.

Bashar Abu Taleb, the head of the tourist guides syndicate in the Red Sea, stated that “among the bodies recovered from the water was that of diver Alaa Hussein, a crew member of the sunken boat,” adding that he was one of the best divers in the Red Sea.

On the other hand, Abu Taleb emphasized that despite the incident, various tourist activities, including boat trips, continue normally in all Red Sea cities, which receive daily tourist trips from many European countries. He noted that the mild weather contributed to continued demand for boat trips and safaris without any fear from visitors, adding that the boat sinking was “an incident that could happen anywhere in the world due to weather conditions.”

He also mentioned that the authorities continuously work to ensure a safe and stable environment for tourists. The Egyptian authorities have taken all necessary measures to deal with the situation, including suspending permits for trips for two days as a precautionary measure, while the naval forces are making significant efforts in search and rescue operations.