A rescue diver saved his niece from being trapped on a capsized boat in Egypt

An Egyptian diver who took part in the rescue operation of a tourist boat that sank in the Red Sea has described how he found his nephew among the passengers trapped but still alive on the boat.

Rescuers on Tuesday found five survivors from the ship and four bodies. On the third day of the search, seven people are still missing.

“We dived 12m (40ft) under water – the survivors were trapped inside the cabins of the boat,” Mr Khattab al-Faramawy told the BBC.

They had been on the boat for more than 24 hours since it was capsized by a huge wave near Marsa Alam on the east coast of Egypt on Monday.

Mr al-Faramawy described the difficulty of searching the four-story submarine to find passengers and crew.

“We were using flashlights to try to find a way into the darkness, it was a very difficult task,” he said.

Finally, they were able to open the doors of the rooms to get the survivors out.

His nephew was among them. Youssef, 23, was teaching scuba diving.

“He was trying to rescue the passengers but he got trapped in one of the rooms,” his father Hussam al-Faramawy told the BBC in an emotional phone call.

“There is nothing I can do but pray to God to help my boy, thanks to his uncle he saved him.”

Hussam al-Faramawy said that he burst into tears when he heard that his son had survived.

“I couldn’t tell her mother what happened on the boat, she would have died instantly, until I told her after seeing that she survived,” he said.

Youssef is currently receiving treatment at a local hospital, as are other survivors. A total of 33 of the 44 people aboard the Story of the Sea have been rescued so far.

Officials have not yet identified the victims and the missing. The BBC understands that two of the missing are of British origin.

The Egyptian navy is in charge of the rescue operation and the soldiers have kept the survivors away from the media.

Local authorities released videos of the rescue operation and photos showing survivors wrapped in blankets – including one around the waist – being brought to shore.

Another unnamed survivor was seen saying he was “shivering from the cold” before he was rescued.

The 44m Sea Story left the harbor near Marsa Alam on Sunday for a five-day diving trip. It is believed to have been hit by strong winds overnight on Sunday, with Red Sea governor Maj-Gen Amr Hanafi saying it sank within five to seven minutes.

The Egyptian Meteorological Authority warned of high tides in the Red Sea and advised against sea activity on Sunday and Monday.

Egyptian officials said the ship has an official safety certificate and is understood to be free of technical problems.

Diving and sea cruise tours are a major attraction for tourists visiting Egypt’s Red Sea resorts. Marsa Alam, where the boat departed, is a popular destination among European tourists, due to its clear waters, sunny climate and amazing marine life.

According to the local council in Marsa Alam, the tourists who were on board came from Belgium, UK, China, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland and the US.

Among the missing are two Polish tourists, according to the foreign ministry in Warsaw.

A UK Foreign Office spokesman said they were providing “support to a number of British nationals and their families following the incident in Egypt”.

The Chinese embassy in Egypt said the two citizens were “in good health” after being rescued.