LONDON: A British family have spoken of their “desperation” after a young couple went missing almost a week ago when the tourist boat they were on sank off the Egyptian coast.
Seven people are still unaccounted for after the sinking of the Sea Story vessel on Monday in the Red Sea, including Jenny Cawson, 36, and her husband Tariq Sinada, 49.
Cawson’s family said they are not being given sufficient information on the ongoing search for the pair by the UK Foreign Office.
Her father Michael Williams told the BBC that they were informed by Sinada’s mother of what had happened. “We were just in disbelief, it’s one of those moments when the world stops,” he said.
Cawson’s mother Pamela said: “Your heart sinks. You ask yourself, have I misread the news? Let’s look again.”
The four-deck vessel was carrying 31 passengers and 13 crew when it sank in stormy weather. It reportedly capsized after being hit by a large wave.
Nationalities aboard included Belgian, Chinese, Finnish, German, Irish, Polish, Slovakian, Spanish, Swiss and American. So far 33 people have been recovered alive, along with four bodies.
The Sea Story set out on a five-day scuba tour. Cawson and Sinada were experienced divers and had traveled to Egypt several times before.
Pamela said: “Everything Jenny and her husband do is highly considered; they do proper research before traveling anywhere. They are not the type of people who take anything at face value.”
The family say they have been forced to reach out to local authorities and sources due to a lack of information from the Foreign Office.
A rescue diver told the BBC earlier this week that five of the 33 survivors had been found alive trapped inside the submerged vessel.
Pamela said: “One of the local sources was kind enough to try and look for (Cawson and Sinada) in local hospitals.”
