Fire on safari boat Suzana in Egypt (Red Sea Aggressor)

[nippurmagnum]

Eh. Not everyone listens, but some do. I bought CO detectors in 2015 as a result of reading your posts. Both tank gas and hotel room.

Although hotel room CO detectors are cheap, tank testers are not. I ended up with a cootwo because it eliminates the possibility of me being lazy and skipping that CO test.

...and I have actually detected CO in one of my tanks since then. It wouldn't have been enough to kill me but I did find some. After confirming the CO, the dive shop revamped their compressor setup as a result.

Any particular brand of detectors that you would recommend?

 

[outofofficebrb]

Any particular brand of detectors that you would recommend?

PBI (Politely Butting In) @DandyDon recommended a SensorCon for me. I took it on a trip and detected 135ppm CO in my room on a liveaboard while I was on a dive; the room backed up to the engine and also smelled like diesel..wooden boat. Needless to say, I slept elsewhere that week and was able to get a partial refund on my trip as a result. I also use it to detect CO in my tanks so it works for both. I bought a flow restrictor which I put on my LP hose and run it directly to the sensor (no connection, just deposits the air onto the sensor) on the CO detector. Analox BCD Flow Restrictor You could probably also just purge your second stages and stick the sensor right there or run it right by the valve and it would probably work. I just like it easy and silent/quieter.

 

[nippurmagnum]

I booked an upcoming holiday on this very boat and was notified by Aggressor of a change in vessel due to the fire. No additional information was provided about the incident, or about what measures are being taken to mitigate this from happening again so I reached out to Aggressor to see if I could get more information on the incident. I specifically asked if there were any fatalities and was told, after a pause: "there's one passenger still missing." Something about that conversation did not feel right. Immediately after I hung up the phone, I did a search online and found reports from 3-4 days ago stating that a US tourist is, in fact, not missing, but dead. Now either Aggressor has kept its employees in the dark or they're just outright lying to their customers. Luckily we live in the age of the internet and social media. I also tried to leave a comment on Scuba Diver Magazine's story about this incident (Return to Sharm el Sheikh in January 2020 with Diverse Travel) where I talk about Aggressor's lack of transparency, and in just a few minutes they took my comment down. Notice the article only named the vessel, but not Aggressor the company. I wonder how much Aggressor pays Scuba Diver Magazine in advertising dollars to have them censor any comments that may lead to negative publicity. If you have more information, please share!

I've always thought that "Aggressor" was a rather stupid name for a dive liveaboard company (why not "Offender"? "Attacker"? "Violator"?). Under the tragic circumstances of this fire, and the company's rather lame response so far, the name "Aggressor" seems downright obnoxious.

 

[outofofficebrb]

@Edith

Very disheartening, indeed. Again, I can understand their approach (Aggressor and Scuba Diving Magazine) as a business. Is it what I deem is "right"?,,..No. Is it better for their business to handle it this way? Absolutely. They are a business first and the bottom line is what moves the needle for them. I am not saying it is permissible, condoning it, nor am I creating excuses. It is the unfortunate and inconvenient truth. That is why I reeally like Undercurrent instead. They do not get paid for advertising and are not swayed and do not have conflicts of interest. What you see is what you get, including the reviews from subscribers. Questions/topics, etc., are not axed or developed to make anyone funding the publication happy

 

[DandyDon]

Notice the article only named the vessel, but not Aggressor the company. I wonder how much Aggressor pays Scuba Diver Magazine in advertising dollars to have them censor any comments that may lead to negative publicity. If you have more information, please share!

Money talks, or shouts! The industry is like that, as are most industries, and even DAN is not immune.

Any particular brand of detectors that you would recommend?

Sensorcon makes the cheapest CO alarm I think, Cootwo the best, but there are several choices these days. It's amazing how technology has improved choices over the decades (said the ancient old coot).

PBI (Politely Butting In) @DandyDon recommended a SensorCon for me. I took it on a trip and detected 135ppm CO in my room on a liveaboard while I was on a dive; the room backed up to the engine and also smelled like diesel..wooden boat. Needless to say, I slept elsewhere that week and was able to get a partial refund on my trip as a result. I also use it to detect CO in my tanks so it works for both. I bought a flow restrictor which I put on my LP hose and run it directly to the sensor (no connection, just deposits the air onto the sensor) on the CO detector. Analox BCD Flow Restrictor You could probably also just purge your second stages and stick the sensor right there or run it right by the valve and it would probably work. I just like it easy and silent/quieter.

Wow! That's a lot of poison in the the air, but then boats produce a lot of CO, and while moving can suck it back with the station wagon effect. Glad you weren't injured or worse.

The more I learn about boats, the more important it seems to take your own CO & Smoke alarms for your room as well as CO tank testers. The same can be said for any hotel or other place one might sleep as some don't have Smoke alarms and most do not have CO alarms, but they all have water heaters and more.

I use a gallon ziplock bag with my Sensorcon in tank checking which has the flaw of sucking some outside air in when I fill the bag, but then I thought the unit was sensitive to air pressure giving false positives. Do you get all zeroes? (That's boring, until you get your first positive, then it just becomes standard safety.)

 

[outofofficebrb]

Money talks, or shouts! The industry is like that, as are most industries, and even DAN is not immune.


Sensorcon makes the cheapest CO alarm I think, Cootwo the best, but there are several choices these days. It's amazing how technology has improved choices over the decades (said the ancient old coot).


Wow! That's a lot of poison in the the air, but then boats produce a lot of CO, and while moving can suck it back with the station wagon effect. Glad you weren't injured or worse.

The more I learn about boats, the more important it seems to take your own CO & Smoke alarms for your room as well as CO tank testers.

I use a gallon ziplock bag with my Sensorcon in tank checking which has the flaw of sucking some outside air in when I fill the bag, but then I thought the unit was sensitive to air pressure giving false positives. Do you get all zeroes? (That's boring, until you get your first positive, then it just becomes standard safety.)

I have been on other wooden boats in the same part of the world I was in when I had issues and I have had 0 PPM readings on those boats. You never know...

I have gotten a result of 1-2 PPM for air before and have rejected the tank. I think the threshold for "OK" is probably higher than that but almost all have been 0 PPM.

 

[scubadada]

After having been on Aggressor boats 4 times, for 5 weeks, I'm extremely disappointed that they have not released a single detail of this accident. My opinion of Aggressor is shifting, nothing to do with the boats I have been on. Why wouldn't you disclose this unfortunate event and provide details?

 

[DandyDon]

I have gotten a result of 1-2 PPM for air before and have rejected the tank.

Well, I wouldn't reject for 1-2 parts per million as that's too close to call and well within safety, but I'd mention it and keep watching. Glad the system is working well for you.

 

[Mod63]

First hand report (in German) Der Untergang der Red Sea Aggressor 1 - Forenbeitrag auf Taucher.Net

 

[outofofficebrb]

First hand report (in German) Der Untergang der Red Sea Aggressor 1 - Forenbeitrag auf Taucher.Net

Thank you! Google translated below (I haven't read it yet)

The sinking of the Red Sea Aggressor 1
05.11.2019 22:29
Changed by MHouben,
The sinking of the Red Sea Aggressor 1
Report of a survivor
It was November 1, 2019. It must have been just after one in the morning. I jumped, wearing underpants and T-shirt, into the Red Sea. When I got over water again, I saw my friend and diving buddy Helmut standing on the bow as the last man. He hesitated a moment, then looked around again. From the water I saw the rear third of the ship burn brightly. Then he too jumped. A little later, the first 200-bar dive tanks exploded at the stern. But we were alive. Only later it became clear: Not all passengers could escape. When the survivors together reconstructed the events in the following days, we agreed: the operators of the ship had ignored in our eyes every conceivable safety measure. The disaster could have been avoided. The following report is intended to serve as a warning to all promoters - as well as to their guests.
It was pure coincidence that Helmut and I boarded the Red Sea Aggressor 1 on October 26th. When we decided to book the liveaboard 'Brothers-Daedalus-Elphinstone' together, there were only a few places left on a few ships at the only possible date for us. The ship had very good reviews on various Internet portals. The operator 'Aggressor Adventures' had a good reputation - especially for first-class service. Quotation of your homepage: "... world-class, personal, artistic adventure on the sea." That this trip would truly be an adventure, we could not guess. But shortly after entering the ship we thought: It was not really 'world class'. It seemed more like a mid-aged boat at the end of its life cycle. Our toilet flush had to be repaired almost daily, the air conditioning in the cabin fell out at times, the decor seemed a bit worn, the carpets old. One of the two showers on the dive deck broke down on the second day, the Nitrox system on the third day. There was always something to fix for the crew. Nevertheless, none of the guests complained - and there was a reason for that, too.
The crew was, without any question, more than eager to read each and every wish to our guests, she was perfectly trained to do so. The food was excellent. When returning from the dive, one had hardly taken the regulator out of the mouth, and the steward already pushed each diver into a cup of freshly squeezed juice. You hardly had a chance to put your fins on and off yourself. The diving suits were also adjusted by helping hands and closed. And truly unique - a special service brand on the 'Aggressor Adventures' dive ships: as soon as a guest takes off their neoprene after the dive and takes a shower on the dive deck, it takes less than five seconds for a crew member to give the guest a pleasantly preheated towel the shoulder lays. Supplies of warm towels never dry up. They come perfectly timed out of the tumble dryer. In this regard, the crew was really incredibly well trained. On the penultimate day of the trip, we learned that there was apparently less training for vital things.
As usual at the beginning of a liveaboard, there was of course a safety briefing for all guests. To get in the mood, send a video message from the President of the Aggressor Group. None of us has the exact wording more in mind. On the company's homepage, the CEO's message reads: "One of my main responsibilities is to visit our travel destinations (= ships) to ensure the safety, quality and personalized service on which we have built our reputation." I wonder when he or one of his co-workers was last on Red Sea Aggressor 1 and what he did to check that promise was upheld. According to the message, the first dive guide and 'tour director' said the ship was built some twenty years ago, runs under the name of 'Suzanna' in Egypt, and was extensively rebuilt and modernized four years ago for the Aggressor Group. My buddy said to me at that moment: "That's probably due again". Afterwards, the guide explained the main safety measures on the ship: life jackets lie on the top 'sundeck', lifeboats and collection point in the back of the upper deck, in case of fire there would be smoke detectors. Once you hear them, you should immediately leave the cabin, collect on deck. For the majority of passengers who have a cabin in the lower deck, the escape route leads across the single staircase to the back of the main deck. If this escape route is blocked, there would be an emergency hatch in the front area, in cabin 1. This leads to a crew room and from there