Emperor Echo damaged; guests and crew safe.

[JustSurfaceInterval]

I doubt that all were LOB. Most of them would have been one day excursions from the nearest port.

 

[a_lamonta]

I was on the Seven Seas (a boat the Emporer acquired this summer) at that same time. We were side by side at fury shoals, but we left for daedelus that night and they stayed an extra night.
So to add context for everyone here:
1)The storm was not forecast and caught everyone in the area by surprise.
2)I was also on emperor elite the following week, and the info we got was that once the line snagged, it got caught up in the propellor so they were unable to turn on the engines and get away from the reef.
3)They tried to sail for a bit but the damage was too bad so they abandoned ship and got picked up by another liveaboard and a fishing boat.
4)between the two boats, we did an emporer daily boat where we met a couple that had been on the echo when it sank. They had lost all their clothing, gear etc, but everyone got out safe and they said the evacuation was smooth and methodical. At least those two were still diving, not sure I would have been ready to go on another boat had that happened to me, so good on them!

So freak storm, freak accident, the boat broke up and sank, but no lives lost.
They woke us up at 4:30am and told us to put on our life vests and go to the salon so that we would already all be there together if anything happened.

See video of the storm from the seven seas, by that point we were close to daedelus and I think echo sunk earlier in the night, but it gives a good idea of the storm:

 

[a_lamonta]

Agreed. I always make sure my DAN Europe dive and travel insurance are up to date. Dry bag for passport, wallet and small valuables is a must, in my opinion.

passports are held in a dry bag all together, which made it out. guests were allowed to pack a drybag each with what they could fit and bring with them

 

[scubadada]

Best I could do, may not be accurate

 

[BoltSnap]

Does anyone here know how reputable, luxurious, safe and enjoyable the Aggressor fleet in Egypt is please? Their website lists two boats, one north itinerary and one south, I am asking about both please.

 

[Parlem]

I was on the Seven Seas (a boat the Emporer acquired this summer) at that same time. We were side by side at fury shoals, but we left for daedelus that night and they stayed an extra night.
So to add context for everyone here:
1)The storm was not forecast and caught everyone in the area by surprise.
2)I was also on emperor elite the following week, and the info we got was that once the line snagged, it got caught up in the propellor so they were unable to turn on the engines and get away from the reef.
3)They tried to sail for a bit but the damage was too bad so they abandoned ship and got picked up by another liveaboard and a fishing boat.
4)between the two boats, we did an emporer daily boat where we met a couple that had been on the echo when it sank. They had lost all their clothing, gear etc, but everyone got out safe and they said the evacuation was smooth and methodical. At least those two were still diving, not sure I would have been ready to go on another boat had that happened to me, so good on them!

So freak storm, freak accident, the boat broke up and sank, but no lives lost.
They woke us up at 4:30am and told us to put on our life vests and go to the salon so that we would already all be there together if anything happened.

See video of the storm from the seven seas, by that point we were close to daedelus and I think echo sunk earlier in the night, but it gives a good idea of the storm:

Thanks very much for sharing all that. That looks like a truly bad storm. I'm glad everyone on board was safe and I'm pretty sure it will all make a nice story to tell fellow divers during surface intervals ...

 

[Parlem]

Does anyone here know how reputable, luxurious, safe and enjoyable the Aggressor fleet in Egypt is please? Their website lists two boats, one north itinerary and one south, I am asking about both please.

Hi! I've never been on an Aggressor lob myself because their off-the-rack prices for Egypt are too high for me (except when they are running a "special offer"). I think they rely heavily on US divers who, in turn, rely on the brand name. It's a long way to travel from the US and we all appreciate some comfort/reassurance. But, to be honest, their track record in Egypt is not the best in terms of safety. Effectively, I think they are just local boats with local crews. I'm sure others will chip in with more relevant info/opinions.

 

[scubadada]

In 2016, while living in Switzerland, I did back to back weeks on the Red Sea Aggressor I. The first week was the southern route, St Johns/Daedalus.

On the night of April 27, we had a night dive at a beautiful site, Sha'ab Claude. A little more than halfway through the dive, we got the emergency recall from our dive tender. We surfaced to a horrendous storm with lightning, high winds, pouring rain, and large waves breaking over the reef. The RSA I had already left its mooring and was headed away from the reef. After we boarded the tender, we chased after the mother boat in huge seas. After what seemed like forever, probably only 20-30 minutes, we pulled up beside the RSA I. I gained tremendous respect for the skill of our tender driver.

Three and a half years later, the Red Sea Aggressor I caught fire and sank, killing one passenger.

 

[NorCalDM]

Does anyone here know how reputable, luxurious, safe and enjoyable the Aggressor fleet in Egypt is please? Their website lists two boats, one north itinerary and one south, I am asking about both please.

I was on the Aggressor IV out of Port Ghalib in September, we did the deep south. The boat is only a couple years old and very well maintained. I think it was luxurious for a dive boat especially if you compare it to some of the other liveaboards in the port. The crew was really good and fun. We felt safe as they had a very good safety briefing and you were individually guided to your room after the briefing and were shown where all your safety gear was, how to use it and how to get to the muster areas from your cabin. So I have no complaints at all.