An Egyptian diver who helped with a rescue operation after a tourist boat sank in the Red Sea told the BBC that rescuers had to search the ship with flashlights to find its passengers and crew.
“We dived 12m (40ft) underwater – the survivors were trapped inside the cabins of the boat,” Khattab al-Faramawy said on the phone.
Rescuers found four bodies and five survivors on Tuesday after the Sea Story, which was carrying 44 passengers and crew, sank on Monday after it was reportedly hit by a huge wave near Marsa Alam.
The victims have not been identified by authorities. The BBC understands that two of the missing are of British origin.
Family photoMr al-Faramawy told me that the rescuers had to enter the boat and open the cabin doors to get the passengers out.
“We were using flashlights to try to find a way into the darkness, it was a very difficult task,” he said.
“My heart goes out to the families of the dead, and I hope they find all the missing passengers alive,” he added.
The Sea Story is deeply submerged, said Mr al-Faramawy, the boat is less than a meter under water.
Among those rescued on Tuesday is his nephew Youssef, 23, who teaches diving.
Hussam al-Faramawy, Youssef’s father, shed tears when he found out that his son was alive.
“I couldn’t tell her mother what happened on the boat, she would have died instantly, until I told her after I saw that she survived,” he told us.
Youssef is currently receiving treatment at a local hospital.
“He was trying to rescue the passengers but he locked himself in one of the rooms,” said his father in an emotional phone call.
He found it difficult to explain that he had been waiting to hear word about his son. “There is nothing I can do but pray to God to help my boy, thanks to his uncle he saved him.”
Family photoThe Egyptian navy is in charge of the rescue operation and the soldiers have kept the survivors away from the media.
Local authorities released videos of the rescue operation and photos showing survivors wrapped in blankets – including one around the waist – being brought to shore.
Another unnamed survivor was seen saying he was “shivering from the cold” before he was rescued.
The 44m Sea Story left the harbor near Marsa Alam on Sunday for a five-day diving trip. It is believed to have been hit by strong winds overnight on Sunday, with Red Sea governor Maj-Gen Amr Hanafi saying it sank within five to seven minutes.
The Egyptian Meteorological Authority warned of high tides in the Red Sea and advised against sea activity on Sunday and Monday.
Egyptian officials said the ship has an official safety certificate and is understood to be free of technical problems.
Diving and sea cruise tours are a major attraction for tourists visiting Egypt’s Red Sea resorts. Marsa Alam, where the boat departed, is a popular destination among European tourists, due to its clear waters, sunny climate and amazing marine life.
According to the local council in Marsa Alam, the tourists who were on board came from Belgium, UK, China, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland and the US.
Among the missing are two Polish tourists and one from Finland, according to the foreign ministry.
A UK Foreign Office spokesman said they were providing “support to a number of British nationals and their families following the incident in Egypt”.
The Chinese embassy in Egypt said the two citizens were “in good health” after being rescued.
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