Warm water kept divers alive in Red Sea ordeal

Five British divers who went missing during an expedition in the shark-inhabited waters of the Red Sea have been found safe and well.

The five were among a group of 12 divers who went missing yesterday on a diving trip off the Egyptian coast.

Egyptian naval boats picked up the divers at about 9pm local time yesterday after they were spotted by a search helicopter. They had spent more than 12 hours in the water, and had drifted 35 miles from where they had dived.

Rescuers believe the warm waters of the Red Sea had helped them survive.

It is thought the group - which also included five Portuguese and two Belgians - had set off from the resort of Marsa Alam on a week-long diving cruise. They were aboard a boat called the Oyster, which is claimed to be one of the most luxurious diving vessels in the Red Sea.

When the group, who had swum down to look at coral reefs with an English instructor, failed to return to the boat, the captain sent out an SOS.

The Foreign Office confirmed the divers had been found and hoped to continue their holiday.