An Egyptian diver who helped within the rescue operation after a vacationer boat sank within the Pink Sea has advised the BBC how the rescuers needed to search the vessel by torchlight to seek out its passengers and crew.

“We dived 12m (40ft) underneath water – the survivors had been trapped contained in the boat cabins,” Khattab al-Faramawy mentioned in a telephone name.

Rescuers discovered 4 our bodies and 5 survivors on Tuesday after Sea Story, which was carrying 44 passengers and crew, sank on Monday after reportedly being hit by a big wave close to Marsa Alam.

The victims’ identities haven’t but been disclosed by authorities. The BBC understands two of the lacking are British nationals.

Mr al-Faramawy advised me the rescuers had to enter the boat and open the cabin doorways to get the passengers out.

“We had been utilizing torch lights to attempt to discover our manner into the darkness, it was fairly an advanced mission,” he mentioned.

“My coronary heart goes out to the households of the useless, and I hope they may discover all of the lacking passengers alive,” he added.

The Sea Story is basically submerged, Mr al-Faramawy mentioned, with lower than a metre of the boat nonetheless above water.

Amongst these he rescued on Tuesday was his 23-year-old nephew Youssef, a diving teacher.

Hussam al-Faramawy, Youssef’s father, broke down in tears the second he found his son was alive.

“I couldn’t inform his mom what occurred to the boat, she would have died instantly, I solely advised her after I realised that he survived,” he advised us.

Youssef is at present receiving therapy in a neighborhood hospital.

“He was making an attempt to save lots of the passengers on board however obtained locked in one of many cabins,” his father advised me in an emotional telephone name.

He discovered it arduous to explain how he stored ready to listen to a phrase about his son. “I might do nothing however pray to God to assist my boy, and fortunately his uncle lastly saved him.”

The Egyptian navy is in command of the rescue operation and the army has stored the survivors away from the media.

The native authorities have posted movies of the rescue operation with footage exhibiting survivors wrapped in blankets – together with one on a stretcher – being delivered to shore.

One unnamed survivor is seen saying he had been “shaking with chilly” earlier than being rescued.

The 44m Sea Story had left a port close to Marsa Alam on Sunday for a five-day diving journey. It’s believed to have been hit by tough winds in a single day on Sunday, with Pink Sea governor Maj-Gen Amr Hanafi saying it sank inside 5 to seven minutes.

The Egyptian Meteorological Authority warned of excessive waves on the Pink Sea and suggested in opposition to maritime exercise on Sunday and Monday.

Egyptian officers mentioned the vessel had a sound security certificates and was understood to haven’t any technical issues.

Diving excursions and sea cruises are an enormous attraction for vacationers visiting the Egyptian Pink Sea resorts. Marsa Alam, the place the boat had departed from, is a well-liked vacation spot amongst European guests, attributable to its clear waters, sunny climate and sumptuous marine life.

In response to the native council in Marsa Alam, the vacationers on board had been from Belgium, the UK, China, Finland, Germany, Eire, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland and the US.

Among the many lacking are two Polish vacationers and one from Finland, in response to these nations’ overseas ministries.

A UK International Workplace spokesperson mentioned they had been offering “help to various British nationals and their households following an incident in Egypt”.

The Chinese language embassy in Egypt mentioned two of its nationals had been “in good well being” after being rescued.