Red Sea dive-boat survivors accuse authorities of cover up

Survivors of a Red Sea dive boat sinking say they were pressured to sign official witness statements in Arabic, which they could not understand. The statements had been translated from English by an employee of the boat company. Survivors also allege that the employee tried to get them to sign a waiver absolving anyone of "criminal behavior."

Eleven survivors interviewed by the BBC also accused Egyptian authorities of attempting a cover-up, believing investigators were determined to blame the accident on large waves. Forty-six people were on board the "Ocean Story" when it sank in the early hours of November 25th last year. Four bodies have been recovered, and seven people are still missing, including two British divers.

Neither the Egyptian government nor the boat's operator, Dive Pro Liveaboard, based in Hurghada, have responded to the allegations. The BBC previously revealed claims from several survivors that the boat had safety issues. A leading oceanographer analyzing weather data also stated that the large wave theory was illogical. Survivors said they were "interrogated" within hours of coming ashore, with some questioned in their hospital beds by people claiming to be judges.

Other survivors said those who did not require hospital treatment were interviewed at a nearby resort, all feeling the same pressure. "We were told we could not leave the room until they had taken everybody's testimony," said Sarah Martin, an NHS doctor from Lancashire. Survivors said the judges were part of Egypt's investigation into the sinking, but they were unclear exactly who was leading the inquiry.

Survivors believe there was a clear conflict of interest in having their initial testimonies translated into Arabic by an employee of the company that owned the "Ocean Story." Spanish diver, Xisela Gonzalez, said the man did not initially identify himself as a company employee. "He just said, 'You have to tell me what happened, and then you have to sign this paper.'" Several of those interviewed said it was only later that the man told them he worked for Dive Pro Liveaboard.

Survivors say their testimonies, after being translated by the man, were then given to investigators, which shocked Lisa Wolf. "A normal judge cannot accept a translation from someone who is clearly involved in the incident." One survivor, a Norwegian police investigator, said she had "absolutely no idea" what the four pages of Arabic documents she was given back actually said. "They could have written anything. I don't know what I signed," explained Froydis Adamson. She wrote under her signature that she was unable to read the documents. "We were so shocked, we just wanted to go home," said Xisela.

Survivors say representatives from Dive Pro Liveaboard also repeatedly tried to get them to sign a waiver that stated: "I do not accuse anyone of any criminal behavior." Justin Hodges, a rescued American diver, told us that a "waiver of liability" written in English was handed to him as he gave his testimony. He said he had assumed the person speaking to him was "official," but then learned he was a company employee. "He was mixing with the official people," said Justin. "He was trying to get us to absolve responsibility at that point, which was crazy to me."

At least some of those interviewed did not sign the document. All those interviewed said they were not allowed to keep a copy of their testimony, but the BBC has learned that some managed to translate the documents on their phones. Many told us that key and damaging details they had given verbally were left out of the written documents. "Everything about the state of the life rafts and the safety issues on the boat was erased," said Lisa. Sarah and Xisela reported similar experiences. "They just wrote what they wanted to write," said Xisela.

Survivors also said that authorities seemed determined from the outset to blame the tragedy on large waves. Although many of those rescued said the waves were not large enough to stop them from swimming. A leading oceanographer told the BBC that contemporaneous weather data from the nearest airport strongly supported the survivors' recollection. Xisela asked if she could eventually see the investigators' final report, but said she was told it was not necessary. "(It's like) they already knew the cause was the waves," she said. When she asked again, Xisela said she was told "the only one responsible was the sea." She believes the authorities had made up their minds before the investigation had even begun.

Sarah expressed the same concerns as Xisela, saying that the judges were also "very keen" for the survivors not to blame anyone for the accident. Several survivors said they were told that if they wanted to hold anyone responsible, they had to name the individual accused and the specific crime. "Just because I can't name that person and the crime, it doesn't mean no one should be blamed," said Sarah. Justin said that the final attempt by Dive Pro Liveaboard to get survivors to sign a waiver came when a group of survivors tried to travel to Cairo.

Having lost his passport at sea, he said that a company representative told them that the document being handed to them was paperwork to get them through checkpoints. "But when I looked at the bottom, the very last line was the same absolving responsibility thing," - the same he had been asked to sign when giving his testimony. Justin said he went to warn the others, and when he went back to the person he believed was trying to mislead him, the document had "magically disappeared," and been replaced with a more formal one. "I was furious," he said. The BBC has not seen the waiver document or a copy of it.

Among those missing are two British people, Jenny Cowen from Devon and Tarek Sinada. Their friend Andy Williamson said: "They were the kindest, most caring, generous people." He said their families have been receiving partial and inaccurate information from the Egyptian authorities. For example, in the aftermath of the disaster, they were told the boat had not been found - even though they had seen survivors being brought ashore from the wreck on television. They are calling for a public inquiry. "It seems like the Egyptian authorities are doing their best to cover this up," said Andy. "They want to protect their tourism industry."

In March, another Dive Pro Liveaboard vessel, the "Ocean Legend," caught fire, resulting in the death of a German tourist. Last year, independent consultancy Maritime Survey International published a report on the safety of dive boats in the Red Sea. The company inspected eight vessels, but not any operated by Dive Pro Liveaboard, and found none had a "planned maintenance system, a safety management system, or a stability manual," a key document for avoiding capsizing. The company also found that design standards were "poor, with all vessels lacking watertight bulkheads, doors, and hatches."

The company concluded that none of the boats were safe, and that Egypt's dive boat industry was "largely unregulated and trading with impunity." On January 7th, 15 survivors, including many of those interviewed, sent an email to the Chamber of Diving and Watersports (CDWS) in Egypt, which regulates all diving activities and is part of the Ministry of Tourism. They conveyed their safety concerns and questioned why Dive Pro Liveaboard was still able to operate. The CDWS General Manager replied on January 9th, stating that the case was under investigation and was being taken "very seriously." He added that "appropriate action" would be taken against "any negligent behavior that has led to people's safety being compromised."