An Egyptian diver involved in the rescue operation of people scouring the wreckage of a tourist boat which sank in the Red Sea has described how he found his own nephew among the passengers trapped but still alive on the boat.
Rescuers on Tuesday found five survivors on the vessel and four bodies. On the third day of the search, seven people remain missing.
“We dived 12m (40ft) under water – the survivors were trapped inside the boat cabins,” Mr Khattab al-Faramawy told the BBC.
They had survived more than 24 hours on the boat since it was sunk by a large wave near Marsa Alam off Egypt’s eastern coast on Monday.
Mr al-Faramawy described the complexities of searching the submerged four-deck boat to find passengers and crew.
“We were using torch lights to try to find our way into the darkness, it was quite a complicated mission,” he said.
Eventually, they were able to open cabin doors to get survivors out.
His own nephew was among them. Youssef, 23, worked as a diving instructor on board the boat.
“He was trying to save the passengers on board but got locked in one of the cabins,” his father Hussam al-Faramawy told the BBC in an emotional phone call.
“I could do nothing but pray to God to help my boy, and thankfully his uncle finally saved him.”
Hussam al-Faramawy said he broke down in tears when he learnt his son had survived.
“I couldn’t tell his mother what happened to the boat, she would have died immediately. I only told her after I realised that he survived,” he said.
Youssef is currently receiving treatment in a local hospital, as are other survivors. A total of 33 of the 44 people on board the Sea Story have been rescued so far.
Officials have not yet disclosed the identities of the victims and missing. The BBC understands two of the missing are British nationals.
Diving instructor Youssef al-Faramawy was rescued from the boat by his uncle [Family photo]
The Egyptian navy is in charge of the rescue operation and the military has kept the survivors away from the media.
The local authorities have posted videos of the rescue operation with footage showing survivors wrapped in blankets – including one on a stretcher – being brought to shore.
One unnamed survivor is seen saying he had been “shaking with cold” before being rescued.
The 44m Sea Story had left a port near Marsa Alam on Sunday for a five-day diving trip. It is believed to have been hit by rough winds overnight on Sunday, with Red Sea governor Maj-Gen Amr Hanafi saying it sank within five to seven minutes.
The Egyptian Meteorological Authority warned of high waves on the Red Sea and advised against maritime activity on Sunday and Monday.
Egyptian officials said the vessel had a valid safety certificate and was understood to have no technical problems.
Diving tours and sea cruises are a huge attraction for tourists visiting the Egyptian Red Sea resorts. Marsa Alam, where the boat had departed from, is a popular destination among European visitors, due to its clear waters, sunny weather and magnificent marine life.
According to the local council in Marsa Alam, the tourists on board were from Belgium, the UK, China, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland and the US.
Among the missing are two Polish tourists, according to the foreign ministry in Warsaw.
A UK Foreign Office spokesperson said they were providing “support to a number of British nationals and their families following an incident in Egypt”.
The Chinese embassy in Egypt said two of its nationals were “in good health” after being rescued.
