Egyptian dive boat sinks

[Alex Ouroboros]

Anybody else seen this?

Sixteen missing after tourist boat sinks in Red Sea

Egyptian officials say 28 people from the vessel have been rescued after it sank on a five-day trip.

www.bbc.com

 

[Divin'Papaw]

There is already a thread going:

Unknown - Sea Story lob sinks

Video https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14122649/Dozens-tourists-missing-boat-sinks-five-day-diving-trip-Egyptian-coast.html#v-2378326667812947022

scubaboard.com

 

[southerman]

Sinking of 'Sea Story'
I am a lapsed diver but I have dived all over the world including in The Red Sea. I am also a Master Mariner.
It is some years since I have dived the Red Sea but there are now a large number of Live Aboards operating in the area. As a Class 1 Master Mariner I would be very reluctant to go to sea on any dive boat not registered with a reputable organisation. ie The UK, DNV, Lloyds etc. These classification societies rigorously survey ships worldwide. They check the stability and safety equipment on all passenger carrying vessels. As far as I can see, there are no visible liferafts or life saving equipment (LSA) on ANY of the vessels based in Egypt which carry passengers.
The Egyptian authorities appear to be more concerned about the potential damage to their tourist revenue than the safety of vessels operating from or registered in Egypt.
At the other end of the spectrum, the grounding of the container ship 'Ever Given' in the Suez Canal a few years ago was more an exercise in protecting the reputation and revenue of the Suez Canal Authorities than in ensuring the safety of the ship and her crew. The 'Sea Story' incident will be no different.

 

[Mod63]

As far as I can see, there are no visible liferafts or life saving equipment (LSA) on ANY of the vessels based in Egypt which carry passengers.

The round thing on the left next to the railing:

 

[Parlem]

Sinking of 'Sea Story'
I am a lapsed diver but I have dived all over the world including in The Red Sea. I am also a Master Mariner.
It is some years since I have dived the Red Sea but there are now a large number of Live Aboards operating in the area. As a Class 1 Master Mariner I would be very reluctant to go to sea on any dive boat not registered with a reputable organisation. ie The UK, DNV, Lloyds etc. These classification societies rigorously survey ships worldwide. They check the stability and safety equipment on all passenger carrying vessels. As far as I can see, there are no visible liferafts or life saving equipment (LSA) on ANY of the vessels based in Egypt which carry passengers.
The Egyptian authorities appear to be more concerned about the potential damage to their tourist revenue than the safety of vessels operating from or registered in Egypt.
At the other end of the spectrum, the grounding of the container ship 'Ever Given' in the Suez Canal a few years ago was more an exercise in protecting the reputation and revenue of the Suez Canal Authorities than in ensuring the safety of the ship and her crew. The 'Sea Story' incident will be no different.

I don't recall a single liveaboard in the Egyptian Red Sea that I've been on and didn't have lifeboat pods. Whether those pods were empty or not, it a different matter altogether. I never got to see the inside. But they all had them. Life vests in every cabin, too. On my most recent liveaboard trip, each passenger was issued a light beacon. On one particular trip, we all dove with ENOS transmitters (granted, this was a high-end boat).

 

[rongoodman]

We had all that stuff on the Agressor boat I was on in 2019 too, but it burned and sank a few months later because all of the crew was asleep when the fire started.

 

[Parlem]

We had all that stuff on the Agressor boat I was on in 2019 too, but it burned and sank a few months later because all of the crew was asleep when the fire started.

Sure, if a fire starts and goes unnoticed long enough, no amount of rescue gear will save the boat, that's for sure. I was merely addressing Southerman's remarks about safety equipment.

 

[Bookworm11]

Just because a boat has life rafts and life jackets doesn't make it sea worthy. And quite a number of Egyptian liveaboards are sinking because of seaworthiness, not just fires. Top heavy design and some captains making poor choices along with slow rescue response has made me decide I won't be booking any Egyptian liveaboard, and instead dive the Red Sea from land based dive shops.