By the end, I was left pondering my preferred way of death. After spending 35 hours trapped in a dark air pocket in a capsized boat, Lucianna Galetta’s voice trembled as she recalled the harrowing experience. A video she captured using her phone’s light, now shared with the BBC, depicted the space where she feared her life would come to an end – surrounded by rising seawater and debris hindering her escape.
Lucianna was among the last survivors rescued from the sinking of the Sea Story, an Egyptian dive vessel that met its tragic fate in the Red Sea on November 25th of the previous year. The disaster claimed the lives of up to 11 individuals, with two Britons, Jenny Cawson and Tarig Sinada from Devon, still missing. Although Egyptian authorities initially attributed the incident to a massive wave, doubts have been cast on this explanation by 11 survivors and a leading oceanographer. They suggest that crew errors and boat malfunctions were more likely culprits.
The survivors also criticized the safety practices of Dive Pro Liveaboard, the company operating the boat, and accused Egyptian authorities of a slow response that may have cost lives. Despite reaching out to Dive Pro Liveaboard and the Egyptian government for comments, no response has been received.
For the first time, the inside story of the Sea Story’s sinking is revealed by those who managed to escape alive. The luxury dive boat departed from Port Ghaleb on Egypt’s Red Sea Coast on November 24th, carrying 31 international guests, three dive guides, and 12 Egyptian crew members. The journey was supposed to be a six-day trip to Sataya Reef, a renowned diving location.
Initial impressions of the Sea Story were positive for Lucianna and other passengers. However, conditions on the night of the incident were rough, with the boat feeling more unstable than expected. A series of events, including the capsizing of a small inflatable boat, hinted at the impending disaster. Despite the crew’s nonchalant reaction to these signs, the passengers were unaware of the danger they were in.
As the boat capsized in the early hours of the morning, chaos ensued. Passengers were thrown from their beds, blocked exits hindered escape, and darkness engulfed the vessel. Desperate attempts to find life jackets and locate emergency exits were made by the survivors. Some managed to reach the top deck and jump into the water, while others found themselves trapped in air pockets below deck.
Lucianna and her partner, Christophe, were among those who found refuge in an air pocket in the engine room. Their delayed realization of the danger nearly cost them their lives as they struggled to escape the rapidly sinking boat.
The survivors’ accounts shed light on the failures in safety protocols and response efforts that contributed to the tragic sinking of the Sea Story. Through their harrowing experiences, they reveal the true extent of the disaster and the bravery that allowed some to survive against all odds.