Red Sea dive liveaboard Firebird, operated by Hurghada-based Into The Blue, has had to be evacuated after hitting a reef north of Sharm el Sheikh, though it is not thought to have sunk as yet. The boat had been heading north up the Gulf of Aqaba towards Dahab.
The collision, reported by Egypt’s Chamber of Diving & Water Sports (CDWS) to have caused “significant damage” to the vessel, occurred at around 1am on 20 April. All seven guests and seven crew were reported to be safe and well.
The CDWS received a distress call at around 1.30, by which time the boat had already been evacuated, according to Into The Blue. The chamber notified regional naval and land-based emergency services to attend the scene.
“Thanks to the swift and professional response of our crew and dive-guide, all guests were safely evacuated within 16 minutes, along with their passports and essential belongings,” reported Into The Blue. “Guests were immediately transferred to land and accompanied by their guide.
“Following the successful guest evacuation, our crew-members were also safely evacuated after securing additional personal items and equipment.”
The emergency services turned up between 2.30 and 3am to support the operation and “ensure a smooth transfer of everyone to a nearby hotel for rest and safety”.
Capacity for 16
“Built by divers for divers” in 2003 and overhauled in 2019, the 32m Firebird had capacity for up to 16 guests in eight cabins. It carried two Zodiacs as well as two 25-person life-rafts.
Into The Blue, rebranded only in February from Deep Blue Cruises, also operates Firebird’s sister-vessel Thunderbird and the 50m Katana.
Firebird guests were being transferred to hotel accommodation in Hurghada to await departure to their home countries. According to the CDWS four of the guests were German, one Swiss and the other two divers Egyptian.
Into The Blue stated that it had been working with the authorities to salvage whatever could still be recovered from Firebird. “We thank the authorities and our dedicated team for their exceptional handling of the situation, and we remain committed to the safety and well-being of all those who sail with us,” it said.
The incident is the latest in a string of Red Sea dive-boat disasters that have prompted calls for the regional regulators to tighten up on their enforcement of tourist-boat safety measures – including from the UK's own Marine Accident Investigation Branch. It has issued its own safety bulletin for UK tourists using Red Sea vessels.
The CDWS says that the cause of the Firebird incident is now under investigation by the Ministry of Tourism and other authorities, although the findings and conclusions of the many such investigations announced in the Red Sea area are rarely made public.
Also on Divernet: ‘Be cautious selecting Red Sea dive-boats’ warns MAIB, Emperor Seven Seas ravaged by fire, Tourist boat capsizes in Gulf of Suez, Efforts to coerce Sea Story diver-survivors reported by BBC, 8 still missing after ‘huge wave’ sank Red Sea liveaboard
