In yet another blow to the Red Sea liveabord dive industry, the Into the Blue-operated vessel Firebird ran aground on a reef this week and was forced to evacuate its passengers and crew.
The incident took place in the early morning of April 20 north of Sharm el Sheikh, and the vessel was on its way to Dahab, according to the Egyptian Chamber of Diving and Water Sports. All 14 crew and passengers were safe, with the passengers awaiting flights home.
Into the Blue said:
“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. Guests were immediately transferred to land and accompanied by their guide.
“Following the successful guest evacuation, our crewmembers were also safely evacuated after securing additional personal items and equipment.”
The Firebird has an eight-cabin capacity and can carry up to 16 passengers.
Into the Blue said it was working to salvage as much as it could from the vessel:
“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.”
Egypt’s tourism ministry is investigating the incident, according to the CDWS.
Over the past few weeks, Egyptian authorities have issued a number of diving bans in the Red Sea region — from shore as well as from vessels, ostensibly due to weather conditions.
Some in the local dive community, though, think the bans may be an overreaction due to recent incidents that saw several liveaboard vessels catch fire and/or sink.
In February, with 16 incidents involving liveaboard dive boats in the Red Sea having taken place over the last five years, the UK government issued a “safety bulletin” for British divers thinking about traveling to the region.
The Marine Accident Investigation Branch’s “Safety Bulletin” recommended:
“Prospective customers are advised only to book liveaboard dive holidays through reputable vendors who can provide assurance about the safety standards applicable to the dive boat. On arrival on board, customers should request that the crew provide a thorough safety briefing before departure.”
Several months prior to the bulletin’s issuance, the MAIB said:
“Following the protocols in the IMO Casualty Investigation Code, the MAIB has formally registered the UK as a Substantially Interested State in the Egyptian safety investigations into these accidents.
“From the evidence the MAIB has obtained so far there is cause for serious concern about the safety of some of the Egyptian dive boats operating in the Red Sea. The Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents has written to the Egyptian Authority for Maritime Safety (EAMS) setting out his concerns and seeking full participation in the EAMS investigations.”
