A Red Sea liveaboard has run aground on a coral reef near Daedalous (also known as Abu al-Kizan) and all 30 people onboard have been rescued, according to a statement by Egypt’s Chamber of Diving & Water Sports (CDWS).
The incident occurred yesterday (25 November), when the 35m Seaphoria, which has capacity for 26 divers, ran aground at the offshore Daedalus Reef site some 60 miles east of Marsa Alam.
The 21 overseas guests and nine crew were transferred to the 45m Turquoise, another liveaboard in the vicinity, and were later said to have been accommodated in hotels in Marsa Alam while official procedures were completed. All were reported to be “in good health”.
The CDWS, which is responsible for licensing liveaboards and ensuring that they comply with safety regulations, said that it had taken “prompt action by notifying the relevant authorities and overseeing the safety of everyone on board”.
It said that the Diving Tourism & Marine Activities Department would be monitoring the situation closely, and that the CDWS would continue to provide full support to those involved “until the investigations are concluded”. The site was set to be inspected for environmental impact.
Royal Evolution
The incident comes only a month after another diving liveaboard, the Royal Evolution, ran aground on the reef at Abu Dabbab, south of Marsa Alam. Again in that case another liveaboard had been required to take all the passengers and crew on board, and it had taken three days to free the stranded boat from the reef.
No independent damage assessment appears to have been issued following that incident, and the results of official investigations into Red Sea liveaboard mishaps are only rarely shared with the public.
Earlier this year, the UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) issued a formal safety bulletin warning of “serious concern” over practices and safety precautions on some Egyptian liveaboard vessels.
