An inquest into the death of a British man who died in a boat fire off the coast of Egypt has received “limited information” about what caused the blaze, a coroner has said.
Steven Hill, 73, from Ashford, was described as a “kind, loyal and supportive man” who died aboard a scuba vessel off the coast of Egypt on June 11 2023.
He, and two other British nationals, had chosen to stay in their rooms while the other 12 passengers were going for an early morning dive, when the boat went up in flames.
On Thursday, Kent and Medway Coroner’s Court heard that Mr Hill, with Christina Quinn and Paul Darling, are presumed to have been asleep in their cabins when the fire started, but this was never confirmed.
Their bodies were recovered in the following days, while the other 12 passengers and 14 crew members managed to escape the fire.
“In the early hours of Sunday 11 June 2023 a fire broke out on a holiday dive boat called the Hurricane in the Red Sea off the coast of Marsa Alam in Egypt,” said area coroner Katrina Hepburn.
It was reported that the medium-sized scuba diving boat had caught fire because of a suspected electrical fault.
“Twelve of the passengers were on a dive, three passengers did not participate in the dive and were on board the Hurricane at the time of the fire and all three died,” said Ms Hepburn.
Mr Hill, who was a dog trainer with a tight group of close friends, had been a keen scuba diver for more than 30 years, the inquest heard.
The coroner noted that despite “prolonged efforts”, information had “not been forthcoming” to help her investigation into the cause of the fire.
“It has not been possible to obtain any documentation from Egypt from this matter over the months and years since this tragic accident has occurred,” said Ms Hepburn.
She added: “There is limited information and evidence in this case.”
A post-mortem examination took place after repatriation, but because of the extensive damage and complications in transporting the remains, a medical cause of death was not found.
The coroner concluded that: “The cause of death could not be ascertained, however in view of the circumstances it is likely that death resulted from prolonged exposure to heat and effects of the fire fumes.”
The inquest into the death of Christina Quinn, who was the chief executive of St Luke’s Hospice, Plymouth, Devon, is being dealt with by Hertfordshire Coroner Service.
