A holidaymaker has publicly shamed a scuba diving instructor after capturing footage of him repeatedly touching her inappropriately while underwater. Rasha Mediene, 31, from Los Angeles, California, travelled solo to Egypt and attended the first day of a €350 scuba diving course on March 1.
Rasha said she met the instructor, who refrained from hugging her due to it being Ramadan and her being a Muslim. However, once underwater, the man began holding her hand as she recorded the dive on her camera. The content creator claims the instructor touched her bottom while in the water, making her feel uncomfortable.
Shocking footage shows the two swimming while holding hands, before the instructor turns and puts his hand around Rasha, appearing to place it on her behind and then her leg. While Rasha tries to push him away, the instructor grasps her legs again in what seems an attempt to stop her moving away.
Rasha said: 'I was trying to show Egypt is one of the cheapest places to do scuba diving. It was my first day, I met the instructor and it was Ramadan. I am a Muslim. When he met me, he found out I was Middle Eastern and said "I would hug you but it's Ramadan." There was a camera and still chose to do what he did. He held my hand, normal, this has happened before. But then when he went into the dance move, I thought, I'm pretty sure we shouldn't be doing this. I was new to learning. I didn't know what his intentions were. I thought he might be doing something to grab the oxygen, I don't know. Until I do know, he was touching my butt and there was no reason for that.'
After returning to land, the instructor offered to drive her home, but she refused and returned to her hotel. Rasha, who also works as a lifeguard, said she felt vulnerable as she did not know how to use her oxygen equipment and was alone in the water with the instructor.
The solo traveller posted the footage on social media, where it has amassed over three million views. The instructor contacted her after seeing the video online, claiming he did not touch her inappropriately. Rasha responded: 'The twisted part of this is that I am a lifeguard and I teach swimming. I am comfortable in the water. But I had this gear and oxygen thing and I didn't know how deep I was. You can die from the pressure, I don't know that stuff. I was in a vulnerable state with this man, it was just me and him in the water.'
Rasha is now urging women to research before booking scuba diving and to choose a female instructor. She added: 'I wasn't interested, I didn't show him any flirtatiousness. I don't understand why he felt that way. I'm very strict and direct, I don't flirt with people I'm not interested in, it's not in my nature. There's no reason for him to have thought anything. I am a strong girl, I can stand up for myself. Research the spot and preferably get a female instructor.'
Commenters on Rasha's video expressed shock at the instructor's behaviour, branding him a 'creep' and his actions even more 'unacceptable' due to being underwater where people are 'vulnerable'. One said: 'This made me angry.' Another added: 'There is literally no need to touch other divers unless something is wrong / they need help. Diving is already a vulnerable space to be in without being touched inappropriately.'
