Liveaboard burns - Egypt

[Blasto]

These days, with everything in databases, your passport, cards and other papers have become little more than computer printouts. On special materials, sure, so that they can't be made by just anyone, but still printouts. Your chance of getting them replaced is very close to 100%. A lot of hassle and some cost, but reliably doable, especially if your tragedy is at least somewhat newsworthy.

Foreign countries aren't demonic pits and your passport isn't life support gear. In the modern world, possessions are only worth risking your life for if the risk is manageable. It's too interconnected to easily get lost in; you presumably have people to contact who can help you, and distance no longer impedes on that.

 

[FinnMom]

Just my observation from sinking at sea - you may be inconvenienced by being in a foreign country without your passport or money or a change of clothes...but it's better than being dead. While it sounds too easy to have a grab bag and your scuba gear all set up a few steps away to doff and slip into the water - good luck. A listing boat is going to make all of that difficult...not sure about everyone else but having seen how many seconds a boat fire can go to a full blown explosion, I think I will stick with what worked for me - get off immediately. You may keep your cool but other passengers losing their sh*t and running round in circles panicking are going to slow you down.
Losing your passport and credit card when you have an embassy to call isn't as much of a hassle as losing tommorow.

Very true. Over the years I have often read articles about someone who telephoned the fire department from inside their home, or went back to get this or that. A big killer seems to be that even without intense fire or smoke, some of the gases already released from burning may be quite toxic. People die before they realize they were in any trouble. And some toxin exposures aren't 100% treatable even if you make it out with no other damage.