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Sinking of the Emperor Fraser

Operator
Vessel
Date
Location
Dunraven reef, near Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt
Fatalities
0

According to an official statement from Emperor Divers, the liveaboard Emperor Fraser broke free of its mooring lines in a sudden wind shift during the afternoon's second dive at Dunraven reef, near Sharm El Sheikh, on 16 December 2009, and drifted toward the reef. With 11 divers still in the water, the captain chose not to start the engines to avoid endangering them; the vessel struck the reef instead, breaching the hull. Unable to plug the breach, the captain ordered the vessel abandoned to Zodiacs. No injuries or deaths were reported; everyone was recovered via the Emperor Fleet's coordination with the Egyptian Navy and other dive boats in the area. The vessel was declared unsalvageable.

Conditions that day

Wind
2 to 14 kn from 200°
Strongest gust
20 kn
Hour by hour (24 of 24 hours, UTC)
UTCWindGustFrom
00:004 kn8 knNW
01:005 kn8 knNW
02:005 kn8 knNW
03:004 kn8 kn330°
04:003 kn7 kn350°
05:002 kn7 kn10°
06:002 kn8 kn30°
07:003 kn6 kn120°
08:006 kn9 knSE
09:008 kn12 kn150°
10:009 kn15 kn150°
11:0010 kn16 kn150°
12:0011 kn17 kn150°
13:0011 kn17 kn150°
14:0011 kn17 kn160°
15:0011 kn17 kn160°
16:0012 kn17 kn160°
17:0012 kn17 kn170°
18:0011 kn17 kn200°
19:0011 kn16 knSW
20:0011 kn15 kn250°
21:0013 kn18 kn260°
22:0014 kn20 knW
23:0014 kn20 knW

ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, sampled 13 km from the recorded position. Modelled conditions across the whole day, not an observation at the vessel: a grid this coarse averages away the localised squall or wave a report may describe. Not a statement of cause.

Photos

Sources

Chamber of Diving & Water Sports (CDWS)
Red Sea liveaboard Emperor Fraser sinks·17 December 2009
ScubaBoardUnverified report
Liveaboard sinks in Egyptian Red Sea·17 December 2009
ScubaBoardUnverified report
Red Sea liveaboard Emperor Fraser sinks·18 December 2009
Emperor Divers
Red Sea liveaboard Emperor Fraser sinks·17 December 2009