Solo Traveller Claims She Was "Touched Inappropriately" By Scuba Diving Instructor In Egypt

A woman solo traveller has shared a video on Instagram alleging inappropriate touching by a scuba diving instructor during an underwater lesson in Hurghada, Egypt. Mediene claimed the instructor's touch was "extremely inappropriate" and not related to safety or standard training procedures. The footage shows the instructor repeatedly touching her body while practicing skills, prompting her to physically push his hand away and reposition it. She identified the freelancer as Haithem M. Abd El Hamied to warn other solo female travelers. 

"In this clip you can see my instructor touching different parts of my body in ways that had nothing to do with safety or proper diving instruction. Within seconds you can see me push him away and physically reposition his hand so he stops. When you are underwater, there is a huge power dynamic. The instructor controls the dive, and many people feel like they have to stay quiet or go along with whatever is happening," she wrote while sharing the video.

Watch the video here:

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A post shared by Rasha Mediene | Luxurious Nomad ✈️ (@roam.with.rasha)

Professional Reactions

Professional instructors noted that while physical contact is sometimes necessary (like holding BCD straps or tanks if a student panics), the behaviour in the video appeared unusual because Mediene was calm and not in distress.

One professional wrote, "I'm a dive instructor; I can confirm that's weird af. Typically, I will brief students: "At some point I will put my hands on either your D-rings or straps to keep you from bolting. For certain skills (equipment removal and replace underwater) I might straighten your legs to keep you down. I may also grab ahold of you if I think you're about to hurt yourself (bolt to the surface). In that instance I will try and grab your fin or one of your straps." This is not that, she's no where near the bottom, she's not exhibiting any signs of panicking, this is just creepy and weird."

"Another dive instructor here. Many times you need to make physical contact with the students to help them correct their trim or their buoyancy (most of the time we can do that just touching the equipment)...but this is a huge NO! Completely out of place behavior," a second wrote. 

Advice For Solo Female Travellers

Mediene advised others in similar situations to trust their instincts and take action if a situation feels off. "You do NOT have to tolerate anything that makes you uncomfortable. You are allowed to push someone away. You are allowed to move their hands. You are allowed to end the dive. Your safety underwater includes your physical boundaries too," she added. 

Additionally, she stressed the importance of researching dive centers with strong reputations and verifying freelance instructors' credentials before booking a dive.

Internet Reaction

The video sparked a flurry of reactions online, with many urging the woman to take action against the instructor. Responding to the video, one user wrote, "So be it, land, water, or air...we're unsafe everywhere." 

Another said, "The audacity of him doing this, especially knowing you were filming!" Hats off to you for posting this!"

"So scary but well handled. And even better that this is posted. If you notice at the end, he touches something near her chest... That's his way of showing his dominance because his ego is hurt now that the woman didn't let him do what he wanted to. We blame the uneducated ones a lot. This is a clear example of how women aren't safe even in the company of educated men. There should be a zero-tolerance policy towards men who make women feel unsafe. "I hope he is terminated from his job," commented a third. 

A fourth added, "Please report his behavior to the dive center and PADI or SSI."