Two Brits reported missing after tourist yacht sinks in the Red Sea

Two Brits are reportedly missing after a tourist yacht has sunk in the Red Sea off Egypt.

The 'Sea Story' yacht, operated by Dive Pro Liveaboard, was carrying 31 tourists and 14 crew members who had left Marsa Alam for a five-day diving trip.

A distress call was made from the yacht before dawn on Monday (25 November) when it sank south of the coastal town.

It currently remains unclear why the boat sank.

While 28 passengers were saved by rescue operations, four Britons were onboard the vessel when it sank. The BBC reports that two are still unaccounted for.

Egyptian authorities say a total of 17 people are missing.

The Foreign Office said that 'consular support' is being provided to 'a number of British nationals and their families'.

"We have been in contact with our members to see if they had any customers on the ship affected by this incident," added a spokesperson for travel trade organisation Abta.

This comes after the Egyptian Meteorological Authority warned of high waves on the Red Sea and advised against maritime activity on Sunday and Monday.

According to the Dive Pro website, Sea Story was built in 2022 and is 44m long and 9m wide.

It has top speeds up to 14 knots and has two Doosan engines, each one being 1000 HP.

Sea Story, which is predominantly made out of wood, has 'warning and fire extinguishing system; fire extinguishers; life jackets in each Cabin; two safety rafts for 25 persons each' on board.

The ship can hold 36 passengers and has a total of four decks.

Accommodation includes 18 twin cabins with A/C and en-suite bathrooms, eight cabins downstairs, four cabins in the main deck, two cabins in the top deck with four honeymoon suites.

"We are the owner and operator of the Liveaboards MY Dive Pro & MY Coral Dreams. Choose your cruise from Scuba Diving, Free diving, Kitesafari and satisfy your desires," the website reads.

"Discover the best coral reefs in the world and see one of the world’s most mesmerising marine environments, flourish nearly every species of coral and incredible fish life."

Meanwhile, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has advised 'against all travel to within 20km of the Egypt-Libya border, except for the town of El Salloum, where we advise against all but essential travel', due to conflicts in the region.

They have issued travel warnings for North Sinai, the northern part of South Sinai, the eastern part of Ismailiyah Governorate and the Western Desert.

LADbible Group has contacted Dive Pro Liveaboard for comment.