The boat, named Sea Story, is thought to have sunk close to popular diving destination Shaab Satayah, off the coast of the tourist resort of Marsa Alam in Egypt’s Red Sea
A luxury yacht on a trip in the Red Sea took just five minutes to sink after being hit with a monster wave.
Sixteen of the 45 passengers are still missing, including two British nationals after the SeaStory vessel flipped on its side before being sucked to the bottom of the ocean by a freak wave.
According to local media outlet Masrawy, the diving trip departed from Porto Ghalib Port in Marsa Alam on Sunday and was supposed to return to the port of Hurghada on November 29 with 45 people on board, including 14 Egyptian crew members. The 31 tourists included four British and two American nationals.
Egyptian authorities have now confirmed 28 people have been rescued with some being airlifted as search operations continued for the 17 others still missing.
Amr Hanafi, Governor of the Red Sea, explained how the “large wave” crashed into the ship, leading it to sink in a matter of minutes. He said: “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 the individuals being searched for are said to be experienced divers, Hanafi added. One rescued passenger, who dives professionally, recalled seeing the water come crashing into the boat during the horror five-minute ordeal.
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.”
Another added: “It was pitch black and the water was all around us. I tried to swim up but the current was so strong I felt like I was suffocating. What saved me was my life jacket that kept me on the surface until rescue teams arrived.”
