A safety bulletin for dive boat holidays in the Red Sea has been issued following the presumed deaths of several Brits who went missing after the boats capsized or caught fire.
The UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) is warning prospective diving holidaymakers to book only through recognised and reputable companies and ensure they have been given a safety briefing before embarking on a diving excursion in the Red Sea.
The safety bulletin, released on Thursday, comes after MAIB found that over the last five years, there have been 16 accidents involving liveaboard dive vessels operating in the Red Sea.
Three boats have been “lost” in the last 21 months, resulting in numerous deaths, including UK nationals.
On 24 April 2023 several people were injured after dive boat Carlton Queen capsized and started to fill with water near Hurghada, Egypt, MAIB said. All 33 passengers and crew were able to be rescued.
Later that year on 11 June, dive boat Hurricane caught fire and was abandoned near Elphinstone Reef in the Red Sea. There were 29 people onboard, yet three UK passengers remain unaccounted for and are believed to have died.
The third accident occurred in November 2024, when dive boat Sea Story capsized and filled with water south of Port Ghalib, Egypt with 45 people on board.
Four bodies were recovered, while seven people who were on board when the boat capsized are still missing, including British couple Jenny Cawson, 36, and her husband Tariq Sinada, 49.
MAIB believes that the dive boats involved in these incidents were poorly constructed and often “substantially modified/extended” meaning some were inadequately stable.
Other safety issues included essential lifesaving and safety equipment being defective, out-of-date or missing, poor structural fire protection, emergency escape routes were via lockable doors, had no emergency lighting and were unmarked, crew members were poorly trained or unfamiliar with the boats, and safety briefings for passengers were either poor or not done at all.
The investigation branch also found that these holidays are often “marketed using ratings and reviews posted online that are not necessarily accurate and do not assure safety standards”.
It added that some consumers have reported finding themselves switched to another boat on arrival in Egypt, invalidating their attempts to choose a safe holiday.
MAIB is therefore advising those looking to book a dive boat holiday in the Red Sea to do so through recognised vendors and once on board, should request the crew provide a thorough safety briefing before departure.
It said this should include the emergency warning signal, emergency exits, muster stations, the location and use of safety equipment, and abandon ship procedures.
Andrew Moll, chief inspector of marine accidents, said the various incidents on these vessels are “deeply regrettable” especially because they resulted in the loss of life.
“Our thoughts are with all those affected,” he continued.
“While MAIB does not have the jurisdiction to investigate accidents involving non-UK flagged vessels operating within the territorial waters of another coastal state, we have made the appropriate authorities aware of our national interest and offered every assistance with any safety investigation they conduct.
“Our safety bulletin provides important guidance to those intending to stay on liveaboard vessels,” he added.
“It is important to remember that such vessels are unlikely to be built, maintained, equipped, and operated to the standard of similar vessels in the UK and we urge the exercise of extreme caution when choosing a boat.”
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