Survivors of Red Sea Dive-Tragedy Claim Authorities Are Hiding the Truth

Survivors of the Red Sea dive boat disaster allege they were coerced into signing misleading statements by authorities and company personnel, who aimed to misattribute the tragedy to a natural phenomenon rather than negligence.

Survivors of a tragic dive-boat sinking in the Red Sea are raising serious allegations against local authorities, claiming they were pressured into signing official witness statements in Arabic that they could not comprehend. The individuals involved, including Justin, Frøydis, and Lisa, reported that these translations were managed by someone connected to the operational company, Dive Pro Liveaboard.

The catastrophe occurred in the early hours of November 25, claiming 46 passengers, resulting in four confirmed fatalities and seven persons still unaccounted for, including two British divers. Despite multiple queries directed towards the Egyptian authorities and the boat operators, no clarifications have emerged.

In interviews shared with the BBC, multiple survivors stated that shortly after their rescue, they were subjected to what felt like an interrogation, conducted by individuals they believed were judges, while they were still recovering in the hospital. "We couldn't leave until everybody’s statements were complete," recounted one witness, an NHS doctor, describing the chaotic atmosphere.

The survivors contend that having their statements translated by someone affiliated with the very boat company under scrutiny posed a significant conflict of interest, potentially compromising the integrity of the investigation. A Spanish diver echoed the sentiment, revealing that the translating individual's true identity was not disclosed until later, raising serious red flags about the process.

According to accounts from the BBC, the survivors were urged to sign waivers absolving anyone from criminal accountability shortly after the incident, implying substantial pressure to obscure potential liability. The wave incident—allegedly the reason for the boat capsizing—was emphasized by authorities, ignoring accounts of manageable wave conditions at the time, as corroborated by an expert in meteorology.

Despite many survivors’ wishes to see the final investigative report, they faced dismissal, with one survivor being told definitively that the sea bore the sole responsibility. The urgency of the authorities to exonerate themselves is troubling to many survivors, who feel certain that negligence led to this tragedy.

In the aftermath, a British couple remains missing, prompting their friends to express disbelief over the lack of transparent communication from local officials. Following a tragic fire incident aboard another dive boat earlier in the year, increasing scrutiny has fallen on the operations of Dive Pro Liveaboard.

Documentation regarding the safety status of dive boats in the region was highlighted in a report published by Maritime Survey International, which marked a line of ships as dangerously unregulated. This escalating situation continues to draw attention to the wider issues of safety standards within Egypt’s dive tourism industry.