New investigative findings from German magazine stern and broadcaster RTL confirm what Green Prophet reported on last year: Egypt’s luxury liveaboard dive boat industry has systemic safety problems that put lives at risk. Their joint undercover investigation into the sinking of the Sea Story in November 2024 — a disaster that killed 11 people — reveals a chain of failures by the captain, operator, and authorities.
On November 25, 2024, the Sea Story capsized and sank in the Red Sea with 30 divers and 15 crew aboard. Among the dead were three Germans, two Britons, two Poles, one Slovak, and three Egyptians. Initial official statements blamed a “giant wave,” but stern and RTL’s review of Egyptian prosecutor files found that waves were only about two metres high — far from extreme conditions. One survivor we spoke with said the sea was not rough when the boast started listing and sinking.
According to the Hurghada public prosecutor, the vessel should never have left port. The captain lacked the required operating licence, and the company, Dive Pro Liveaboards, had no authorisation to run the ship on the high seas. People we spoke with said that the captain wasn’t driving the boat, it was the cook and he was stoned.
Despite this, military forces at the port reportedly approved the voyage. Investigators also documented serious structural stability deficiencies in the vessel’s design.
These revelations mirror Green Prophet’s earlier reporting on the Sea Story’s instability and poor safety gear, and on Dive Pro’s previous fatal accident involving the Sea Legend fire in February 2024 (read our coverage here).
Undercover Safety Audit
To investigate wider industry standards, stern and RTL sent undercover reporters onto 17 liveaboard vessels across three Egyptian ports. Their findings — confirmed by international marine safety experts — were damning:
- All vessels had safety deficiencies; most were serious or very serious.
- Life jackets were often unsuitable; life rafts were inadequate.
- Many lower decks lacked proper bulkheads; some ships had missing or inaccessible emergency exits.
- Navigation and communication equipment was missing on some boats.
- Unsafe practices, such as smoking in the engine room while the diesel engine was running, were observed.
Marine engineer Mick Uberti of Maritime Survey International, who reviewed the findings, said these results match his company’s inspections over the past two years — all eight ships they examined in Egypt were “in poor condition.” The UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has also concluded that many Red Sea dive safari ships are “poorly constructed.”
Pattern of Accidents
Green Prophet has tracked a troubling pattern of incidents in the region. In our follow-up report on the rescue site, survivors described missing safety drills and inadequate emergency preparation. Other industry accidents — from dive boat fires to groundings — suggest the Sea Story tragedy is part of a wider safety crisis in Egypt.
In the past three years alone, more than half of the world’s liveaboard dive boats that have run aground, burned, or sunk were operating off Egypt’s Red Sea coast — one of the most popular destinations for European dive tourism.
Unanswered Questions
The stern and RTL investigation raises urgent questions for Egyptian regulators:
- Why were licensing and vessel classification rules ignored?
- What inspections — if any — did the Sea Story pass before departure?
- Were official weather advisories ignored?
- What mechanisms ensure safety compliance for operators?
Until these questions are answered and meaningful reforms are made, divers and tourists face unacceptable risks in Egyptian waters. Dive at your own risk.
The full stern and RTL documentary, “Death Trap Red Sea – Journey into Disaster”, will be available from September 11, 6:45 p.m. CET on stern.de and RTL+.
