An Irish national who was aboard a tourist yacht that sank in the Red Sea off the coast of Egypt yesterday is “safe and receiving consular help from the Department of Foreign Affairs,” said Micheál Martin, Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Today, rescuers have recovered four bodies and four survivors, while eight individuals are still unaccounted for.
The survivors include two Belgians, one Swiss citizen, and one Egyptian, according to the governor, bringing the total number of survivors from the vessel to 32.
The identities of the four deceased individuals have not yet been released, and eight people remain missing.
In a statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed it is aware of the situation and “is in direct communication with the affected citizen.”
The vessel was carrying 31 tourists from various countries along with a 13-member crew when a large wave struck early yesterday, causing it to capsize near Marsa Alam in southeastern Egypt.
The ‘Sea Story’ had set off on a multi-day diving expedition on Sunday and was expected to arrive in Hurghada, located 200km to the north, on Friday.
Red Sea governor Amr Hanafi indicated that the boat sank within five to seven minutes of being struck by the wave, preventing some passengers—among them European, Chinese, and American tourists—from escaping their cabins in time.
Rescuers from the military and a nearby tourist boat successfully pulled 28 individuals from the water yesterday.
A source from a hospital in Marsa Alam reported that six tourists and three Egyptians were treated for minor injuries and released yesterday.
The injured tourists included “two Germans, two Britons, one Spaniard, and one Swiss national,” as disclosed by the hospital administrator to AFP, who requested anonymity due to not being authorized to communicate with the media.
The governor’s office reported that the boat was carrying tourists from Belgium, Britain, China, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, and the United States.
Among those missing are two Polish and two Finnish tourists, as confirmed by the foreign ministries of both countries.
Officials have stated that the vessel was fully licensed and had passed all required inspections. An initial inquiry revealed no technical faults.
This year, the Marsa Alam region has witnessed at least two similar boat incidents, although none resulted in fatalities.
The Red Sea coastline is a popular tourist spot in Egypt, a nation of 107 million currently grappling with a significant economic crisis.
Nationally, the tourism sector provides employment for two million people and contributes more than 10 percent to the country’s GDP. Numerous dive boats traverse the Red Sea’s coral reefs and islands along Egypt’s eastern coast daily, where safety regulations are stringent but inconsistently enforced.
Earlier this month, 30 individuals were rescued from a sinking dive boat near Daedalus reef in the Red Sea. In June, two dozen French tourists were safely evacuated before another boat sank in a comparable incident.
Last year, three British tourists lost their lives due to a fire on their yacht.
