The Salem Express was originally built in the French shipyards of La Seyne in 1964. The Salem Express was a passenger ferry, based in the port of Safaga, and on the evening of Dec 15th 1991 was returning from the port of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. During a storm the Salem Express struck Hyndman Reef with catastrophic force. Striking the reef on the starboard side of her bow, she not only ripped a hole in her side, but the entire bow door was forced upward. She sank fully to the seabed in 30 metres of water, in as little as 10 minutes.