Three bodies recovered from capsized yacht off Red Sea - with 13 still missing

26 November 2024, 09:46 | Updated: 26 November 2024, 10:07

Three bodies have been found by rescue teams after a tourist boat sank in the Red Sea, a local official has said.

Rescue teams had been "intensifying efforts" to locate 16 missing people - including two Britons.

Amr Hanaf, Governor of the Red Sea region said that three bodies have now been recovered and 13 people are still missing.

Among the foreign nationals on board were those from the US, UK, Germany, Poland, Belgium, Switzerland, Finland, China, Slovakia, Spain and Ireland.

Read More: Four Brits 'among 17 missing' after tourist yacht hit by 'huge wave' capsizes off the coast of Egypt

The nationalities of the people whose bodies have been found is unknown.

The 34-metre-long tourist boat Sea Story sank on Monday south of the Egyptian coastal town of Marsa Alam with 44 people on board.

Egyptian military forces, which are co-ordinating operations, had already rescued 28 people "in cooperation with a cruise ship that happened to be in the area".

The boat was on a multi-day diving trip when it went down near the coastal town of Marsa Alam, according to a statement by the Red Sea Governorate.

Amr Hanafi said some survivors were rescued using a helicopter and have been taken to medical care.

Governor of the Red Sea, Amr Hanafi, confirmed he has spoken with witnesses of the tragic capsizing who have all said a "large wave" caused it to sink within minutes.

He continued: "The initial cause of the accident, according to the accounts of foreigners and the Egyptian crew, was a large wave from the sea that hit the boat, causing it to capsize.

"The matter was sudden and fast, as it took about five or seven minutes, and some of the passengers were inside the cabins, which is the secret behind their inability to get out of the boat."

Many of those still feared missing are believed to be experienced divers, Hanafi added.

A professional diver who was out on the water when the yacht was attacked by the wave has revealed the horrifying five minute disaster.

They said: “I was on the surface when things started to go wrong. I felt the boat tilting sharply, and I tried to hold on to something stable, but the capsizing was very fast.

"I heard screams from inside the cabins, but many were unable to get out because the doors were closed and the place was filled with water."

The governorate said a distress call was received at 5:30 a.m. (0330 GMT) and that the boat had departed from Porto Ghalib in Marsa Alam on Sunday, with plans to return to Hurghada Marina on Nov. 29.

The Red Sea is a popular diving destination renowned for its coral reefs and marine life, key to Egypt's vital tourism industry.

Built in 2022, Sea Story is a 144ft pleasure boat able to carry up to 32 passengers.With 18 twin cabins, the vessel takes tourists on diving trips to explore reefs and wrecks in the Red Sea.