Death trap Red Sea
The star invents yacht, worldwide booking portal falls in
In Egypt, dozens of diving ships last crashed. Many could be booked at the Liveaboard travel portal. Does the company care? We tested it hidden.
One of the world’s largest booking portals for diving cruises, Liveaboard.com based in Amsterdam, apparently does not check the boats of the boats that it conveys. Report that star and RTL. A research team offered the company an invented ship with serious security defects. There were no lifeguards, fire extinguishers and an emergency exit. The team nevertheless received a contract to be included in the offer.
The reporters had pretended to be a new provider based in Egypt, built a website with photos and core data of the alleged ship called “Star Adventure”. On this visible fire extinguisher, lifeguards and several other things that can decide on the life and death of crew like passengers in an emergency.
Our reporters went through the application process at Liveaboard.com – without liveaboard.com security deficiencies of the ship offered. In addition, the travel agent had not requested any concrete evidence that would have indicated ship safety. Even in a video call, three employees of the company had not asked any questions. They informed with a presentation about their own business model. It found the word “Payment” eight times, English for “payment”. The word “Safety”, security, but not once.
The editorial team confronted Liveaboard.com in writing with the allegations. The company did not answer.
More about the Death Trap Red Sea: On Thursday at 10:35 p.m., RTL shows the large undercover documentary “Stern Investigative.” Here at stern.de and can call up RTL+. Here You will also find all previous contributions to our research.
What she also expects in the coming days at this point: a making of the dangerous undercover research by our reporters in Egypt. A self -test, like two of our reporters under cheering a global booking portal, accomplished an invented ship. Plus a lot of videos, graphics and guides.
Increased number of gaps in ships in Egypt
The background to the research is an unprecedented series of accidents from immersion paraes on the Red Sea. Around 30 immersion sauces have been setting worldwide since 2022, more than every second in Egypt. Many affected ship operators are or were listed on the offer from Liveaboard.com. Survivors such as the dead of some of the recent accidents had also booked their trip through the intermediary, For example, guests of the “Sea Story”that sank in November last year. Media from all over the world had reported on the case. Eleven people died, including three Germans.
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The business model of the Liveaboard.com company works similarly to Airbnb or Booking.com. Via Liveaboard.com, customers book several days of boat trips online, where the ships approach various dive sites. According to their own statements, the offer from Liveaboard.com includes 600 boats, last year more than 34,000 guests were sent on over 19,000 trips. According to the company, 30 percent of its customers come from Europe.
The entire research team: Manuel Heckmair, Michelle Janetschek, Tina Kaiser, Tim Kickbusch, Marc Neller, Romeo Russo, Katharina Schultz, Johanna Wagner. Verification: Moritz Dickentmann
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
