The friend of two Britons rescued from the sunken diving yacht in the Red Sea says there is “absolutely no reason” why survivors should have been trapped for 30 hours during search efforts by the Egyptian authorities.
Diver Tom Postin said Colin Sharratt, 65, and Sally Jones, 58, were among the 33 people who have so far been rescued following the sinking of the Sea Story vessel, while the employer of another Briton, Tarig Sinada, said he was one of seven people still missing.
Mr Postin said Ms Jones and Mr Sharratt were both experienced sailors. “I got the impression that they’d know what to do and they would survive. They’re survivors,” he said.
The 44-metre yacht sank within minutes in the early hours of Monday, less than 24 hours into a five-day diving excursion. It capsized after being struck by a large wave, according to witness statements via the Egyptian authorities.
Mr Sharratt and Ms Jones were two of the 28 people rescued on Monday during a search led by Egyptian naval forces and the Red Sea Governorate.
But five other survivors were left stranded in a boat cabin overnight, using a small air pocket to stay alive for around 30 hours before they were rescued on Tuesday morning, a survivor told The Times. Four bodies were recovered that same day.
Mr Postin, a keen diver and a friend of the British pair, was critical of the time it took to get to the five survivors.
“This happened at 5:30am in the morning: that boat has sunk and it was lying on its side, with all the boats around it,” he told The Independent. “There’s absolutely no reason why no one would have gone in and tried to rescue [the others]. Those people actually waited 30 hours before they got rescued.
“This tragedy that’s happened is an accident, but it’s an accident that could have been avoided.”
Mr Postin, who comes from the Black Country and now lives in Brisbane, Australia, met Mr Sharratt and Ms Jones in Tonga during a scuba diving and sailing trip. He said they were “extremely good sailors” now travelling the world in their retirement.
Ms Jones, from Birmingham, is set to return home in the next few days, Mr Postin added. He described her as “capable, intelligent, sensible kind of person that is extremely approachable” and that she has a “lot of life experience”.
He described Mr Sharratt as “sedate and easy-going”. “He’s a smart guy, there’s no doubt about that, he’s a very capable person,” Mr Postin said.
In June 2023, three Britons died after a boat caught fire while on a diving trip in the Red Sea. In October this year, another diving liveaboard sank, but the 18 passengers were rescued.
Sea Story is owned by operator Dive Pro Liveaboard, based in Hurghada, Egypt. The company, which has not commented on the incident and has taken down the page which showed the specifications of the vessel, charges punters €1,220 (just over £1,000) for a week’s voyage.
The search for the seven passengers still missing is now in its fifth day. Tarig Sinada, who works for a consultancy firm and has previously worked as a scuba diving instructor, is among those unaccounted for. His employer said in a statement that their “thoughts are with Tarig’s family” and they “hope for his safe return”.
According to some reports, there is another Briton still missing.The Independent has contacted the Red Sea Governorate and Dive Pro Liveaboard for comment.
