On 25 November 2024 the tourist boat Sea Story sank in the Red Sea. In the immediate aftermath, sixteen people were confirmed missing, including twelve foreigners and four Egyptians, while 28 others were rescued. The survivors were found in the Wadi El Gemal area of the sea. The warship El Fateh of the Egyptian Navy assisted in the rescue.[1] The next day, four people were found dead, while the number of missing was lowered to seven as five more were rescued alive.[2]
The Red Sea coast is a major tourist destination in Egypt; however, dozens of dive boats operate every day with unevenly enforced safety regulations. Earlier in November 2024, 30 people were rescued from a sinking boat near the Daedalus reef; in June 2024 24 French tourists were evacuated before the boat sank, and in 2023 three British tourists died after a fire broke out on their vessel.[4]
A March 2024 Maritime Survey International report examining Red Sea dive boats found none of the inspected vessels had "a planned maintenance system, safety management system or stability books" and concluded the industry "plies its trade largely unregulated".[5]
The M/Y Sea Story was a four-deck motor yacht built out of wood in 2022. Measuring 44 meters in length and 9 meters in width, it was designed to accommodate 36 passengers and 12 crew members, including a captain, mechanical engineer, two cooks, two waiters, and six sailors. It was equipped with three generators, a Nitrox diving system, and three Coltri compressors. Two Zodiac speed boats, measuring 6.5 and 5.5 meters with 100 HP and 40 HP outboard motors respectively, supported diving activities. The yacht’s amenities featured 18 air-conditioned cabins with en-suite bathrooms, including four honeymoon suites, a lounge with a bar and entertainment system, and a separate dining area.[6][7]
Sinking
Sea Story had left Port Ghalib near Marsa Alam on 23 November for a diving trip of seven days and was due to dock on 29 November in Hurghada.[4] The Egyptian Meteorological Authority had warned of expected high seas on 24 and 25 November and advised against maritime activity for both days.[8]
According to Amr Hanafi, the governor of the Red Sea, a large wave struck the boat causing it to capsize and sink 46 nautical miles from the shore off Marsa Alam in 5-7 minutes, before coming to rest mostly submerged about 12 metres below the water line, with about half a metre above the water line.[9][10] However, the claims about a large wave are disputed by survivors of the incident and an oceanographer, Dr. S. Boxhall of Southampton University. He stated that waves were likely only 1.5 metres.[11]
The vessel capsized between 02:00 and 03:00 a.m., while the first distress signal was not received by the Red Sea control center until 05:30 a.m.[12]
Rescue Response
28 people were rescued the day of the sinking, many having been lost at sea for hours before being found by rescue vessels. [13] Some of the survivors were airlifted for medical treatment, while others were assisted on the vessels until a military frigate transported them back to shore. Red Sea Governor Major General Amr Hanafi indicated that military aircraft and naval units were still searching the day of the rescue for those still unaccounted for.[8] At this time, five additional survivors remained trapped in air pockets within the wreck for 35 hours before being rescued by volunteer civilian divers.[14][15]
The day after the sinking it was announced that these five people – two Belgians, one Egyptian, one Finnish and one Swiss nationals – were recovered alive while four others were recovered dead.[16]
While authorities have not confirmed nationalities of the tourists, the Chinese embassy reported two of their citizens were rescued; the Finnish foreign ministry that one of their citizens were missing; and the Polish foreign ministry confirmed that two of the tourists may have had Polish citizenship.[4]
On 2 December 2024, the search for the rescue of the seven missing people was called off, but there was no official confirmation by the coast guard.[17]
Safety Deficiencies
The rescue operation revealed significant deficiencies in the vessel's safety equipment and emergency response. While survivors reached the life rafts, they found them lacking the emergency supplies promised in safety briefings, including food, water, and functional lighting equipment. Life jackets were equipped with non-functioning emergency lights, crucial for nighttime visibility.[14] That was consistent with reviews of past customers who have complained about the lack of standards and safety equipment aboard the ships owned by the same company that owned the Sea Story.[18]
According to officials the boat had been inspected in March 2024 and there had been no issues found, and it had obtained a license for a year.[19] However, divers who have dived with the company speculate that the boat was not as young as the owners claimed and that it wasn't built for open water. Passengers also claimed that the boat appeared unstable prior to the sinking and items on deck had shifted significantly, and a small inflatable zodiac had gone overboard.[20]
Aftermath
Tightening of Regulations
In response to safety concerns raised by the incident, authorities began enforcing stricter requirements for crew qualifications and ship registrations. These regulations mandate that each vessel must have two licensed captains (one with a master mariner patent and one with a minor patent) and two trained mechanics with advanced engineering licenses. Additionally, all crew members must be formally registered with the ship, linking their names to its operational permit.
While aimed at improving safety and accountability, these measures have led to widespread logistical and operational challenges due to a lack of qualified personnel, delays in issuing licenses, and the rigidity of the crew registration process. Operators have reported being vulnerable to extortion from crew members and struggling to find replacements for sudden absences, further complicating compliance. The new rules have sparked debates within the industry, with many calling for more practical solutions to balance safety concerns with operational feasibility.[21]
Safety Concerns of Red Sea Dive Boats
On 16 December 2024, the UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) raised serious concerns about the safety of Red Sea dive boats after the Sea Story capsized. This marked the third major Red Sea dive boat accident involving UK citizens in 20 months, following the Carlton Queen capsizing in April 2023 and the Hurricane fire in June 2023. In response to these incidents, the MAIB has issued a letter to the Egyptian Authority for Maritime Safety highlighting its concerns and is preparing a safety bulletin to guide British divers considering dive holidays in the region. UK Foreign Office travel advice also cautions that safety standards among Red Sea diving operators vary significantly, with lower-cost providers often failing to meet adequate safety or insurance requirements. [22][23]
Investigation Controversy
According to BBC reports, the survivors were pressured to sign Arabic statements translated by an employee of Dive Pro Liveaboard company. Multiple survivors reported they were not allowed to keep copies of their statements and said critical safety concerns were omitted from official documentation. The boat operator's representatives allegedly tried to have survivors sign waivers stating they "do not accuse anyone of any criminal wrongdoing."[24]
Capsizing or keeling over occurs when a boat or ship is rolled on its side or further by wave action, instability or wind force beyond the angle of positive static stability or it is upside down in the water. The act of recovering a vessel from a capsize is called righting. Capsize may result from broaching, knockdown, loss of stability due to cargo shifting or flooding, or in high speed boats, from turning too fast.
The MS al-Salam Boccaccio 98 was an Egyptian Ro/Ro passenger ferry, operated by El Salam Maritime Transport, that sank on 3 February 2006 in the Red Sea en route from Duba, Saudi Arabia, to Safaga in southern Egypt.
The Lebanese Navy is the naval warfare of the Lebanese Armed Forces. Formed in 1950, it traces its heritage to the maritime civilization of Phoenicia; its flag depicts a Phoenician ship with the Lebanese Cedar tree, positioned on an anchor above the Arabic inscription of the navy's name. Headquartered at Beirut Naval Base, Lebanon's first and largest naval base, the navy has posts Tripoli, Saida, and Tyr.
MV Salem Express was a passenger ship that sank in the Red Sea. It is notable due to the heavy loss of life which occurred when she sank shortly after striking a reef at around 11:13pm on December 14, 1991. Salem Express was a roll-on/roll-off passenger ferry which operated for 25 years, with many different owners, names and regular routes at that time.
On 27 March 2009, at least one boat carrying migrants from Libya to Italy capsized. The boat is believed to have been carrying 250 migrants from Egypt, Tunisia, Palestine and Nigeria. A rescue attempt involving the Italian and Libyan navies rescued 21 survivors from the boat and retrieved 21 bodies. A further 77 bodies subsequently washed up on the shores of Libya before rescue efforts were called off. Two other boats also went missing between Libya and Italy, carrying around 250 more people between them. A fourth boat, carrying 350 people, was rescued by an Italian merchant ship on 29 March in the same area of sea.
In September 2014, it was announced by the International Organization for Migration that a ship sank off the Malta coast on September 11, 2014, killing around 500 migrants. There were eleven survivors. The ship left Damietta, Egypt, on September 6 and sank five days later on September 11. Two Palestinian survivors of the wreck accuse the traffickers of intentionally sinking the vessel after the refugees would not agree to transfer to a different ship.
The sinking of Dolgorae, a South Korean fishing vessel occurred on 5 September 2015 off Chuja Island, near Jeju Island. At least ten people died and eight are missing. Three people were rescued. The vessel capsized in heavy seas and those passengers and crew not washed away in the waves clung to the hull of the vessel for over ten hours. Only three were rescued.
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Egypt 
A photo of the boat involved 
