Egypt tour boat sinks on Red Sea diving trip, leaving 17 people missing

Egyptian authorities said Monday that they had rescued 28 people from a tourist boat that sank off the country’s Red Sea coast, but that a search operation was still underway for 17 others left missing. 

The luxury yacht “Sea Story” had 45 people on board — 31 tourists of different nationalities and a crew of 14 — when it capsized Monday after sailing on Sunday from Port Ghalib Marina, near Marsa Alam on Egypt’s Red Sea coast, for a diving trip that was scheduled to last until Friday, when the boat should have docked in Hurghada.

The regional Red Sea control center received a distress signal at 5:30 a.m. local time from a member of the Sea Story crew, regional authorities said in a statement, and search and rescue teams were immediately dispatched to the location.

Red Sea Governor Maj. Gen. Amr Hanafi said some of the survivors were airlifted from the site for medical treatment, while the remaining survivors were assisted on rescue vessels until a military frigate arrived to transport them back to shore.

The governor said military aircraft and naval units were still searching Monday for the 17 left missing, and the survivors were receiving medical care as required.

The cause of the accident and the nationalities of the victims had not been confirmed as of Monday afternoon in Egypt.

According to The Associated Press, the Egyptian Meteorological Authority had warned that high seas were expected on the Red Sea Sunday and Monday, and advised against maritime activity for both days.