Brits are being warned about the dangers of taking Red Sea dive boats off the coast of Egypt following a spate of deaths involving the vessels.
The warning comes after a diving boat capsized in November last year, killing four people and leaving seven people missing – including two Britons – presumed dead.
With its colourful coral reefs and exotic marine wildlife, the Red Sea has long been a paradise for divers. However, that reputation has took a beating in recent years after 16 dive boats were lost in the last five years alone – with multiple casualties.
Now, the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has issued a new safety advice for Brits intending to stay on liveaboard vessels – small yachts often used for diving excursion.
The report found that the boats involved in recent incidents presented significant risk to passengers.
This included a boat, known as the Hurricane, which was abandoned near the Elphinstone Reef in June 2023 after it caught fire leaving three British passengers dead.
The MAIB said that the boats were often poorly constructed and often ‘substantially modified/extended which resulted in some vessels exhibiting inadequate stability.’
On top of this, the vessels also often had essential life saving equipment that was defective or in some cases missing.
Meanwhile, emergency escape routes were via lockable doors, had no emergency lighting and were unmarked.
The investigation also found that the rapid spread of fire, such as in the incident on the Hurricane, was indicative of poor structural fire protection, and items of essential safety equipment, such as fire detection systems and fire extinguishers, were either missing or defective.
The report added that safety briefings were of a poor standard or not conducted at all by crew members were ‘poorly trained’ or ‘unfamiliar with the vessels’.
Andrew Moll, chief inspector of marine accidents, told The Times it was ‘deeply regrettable’ that a number of the recent accidents had resulted in the loss of life.
He said: ‘Our safety bulletin provides important guidance to those intending to stay on liveaboard vessels,
‘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.’
If Brits are planning to use dive boats, the report recommends only to book liveaboard dive holidays through reputable vendors who can provide assurance about the safety standards applicable to the dive boat.
On arrival on board, customers should request that the crew provide a thorough safety briefing before departure.
A spokesperson for Abta told MailOnline: ‘It’s local laws that determine marine safety regulations in each country. If you book with a reputable UK company, they should be able to provide you with information on the health and safety provisions for your trip.
‘Suppliers are required to comply with the health and safety legislation of the country of operation and should be able to demonstrate this to the travel providers that they contract with.
‘If the trip is booked as part of a package holiday, then the UK travel company will also have obligations and responsibilities under them.
‘Independent travellers making their own arrangements are advised to check with their providers what health and safety provisions are in place.’
