A Swiss man goes missing after an accident with a tourist boat in Egypt

In Egypt, 16 people are missing after a tourist yacht sank, including one person from Switzerland. A second Swiss man was rescued and was uninjured, the Swiss Foreign Ministry told Watson on Monday.

According to authorities in the Red Sea Governorate, a total of 12 foreigners and four Egyptians were missing. There had previously been talk of 17 missing people.

According to the Egyptian authorities, the Egyptian ship “Sea Story” set off on a multi-day trip from the port of Port Ghalib in the Marsa Alam region on Sunday and was scheduled to call at Hurghada, around 200 kilometers further north, on Friday. According to the governor’s office, there were 31 vacationers on board from several countries and 14 crew members. The yacht then sent out a distress signal early on Monday morning. 28 people were rescued by air operations and a warship, Governor Amr Hanafi announced. An intensive search is underway for the missing people.

Apparently hit by a big wave

Little is known about the cause of the accident. According to Governor Hanafi, initial findings indicate that the ship was hit by a “suddenly large wave” and capsized within a few minutes. Some passengers were therefore in their cabins and could no longer get to safety.

The director of a diving center reported that a surviving crew member said that the yacht was “hit by a wave in the middle of the night” and overturned. Authorities in Hurghada closed the city’s port and suspended shipping traffic on Sunday due to “bad weather conditions.”

However, the weather conditions were good near Marsa Alam, said the diving center manager. He added that he believes the chances of survival of the missing people are slim.

As Governor Hanafi further explained, no technical problems were found during the last inspection of the “Sea Story” in March. Travel providers are advertising the two-year-old motor yacht with cabins for more than 30 passengers for multi-day diving excursions in the Red Sea.

Red Sea is the main tourist destination

The Swiss representation in Cairo was in contact with the responsible authorities and those affected. According to the information, these were supported as part of consular protection. The Swiss Foreign Ministry did not provide any further information. The Red Sea is a main destination for tourists in Egypt. The industry provides work for two million people and generates over ten percent of the gross domestic product.

The North African country has a pleasantly warm climate even during the winter months. For divers, the Red Sea offers some of the most spectacular diving sites in the world. (sda/afp/dpa/lyn)

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