Egypt remained in fog until the afternoon, when the navigator was able to sight landmarks on the French coast and fix the ship's position.

The steamship Seine emerged through the fog and within seconds struck Egypt's port side in the Celtic Sea 28 nautical miles (52 km) off the Ar Men Lighthouse, Finistère, France.

[5] An SOS distress signal was transmitted and replies were received from the steamers Cahiracon and RMS Andes, but Egypt sank in less than 20 minutes, before either ship arrived.

She was found lying upright in a depth of 128 metres (420 ft), 70 fathoms, making recovery very difficult with the technology of the time.

[8] Gianni located the wreck, and sent a diver in his specially-built Torretta Butoscopica observation bell to direct salvage operations and the placing of explosives to blast through the ship to expose the strongroom.

[9] In June 2001 a team of British technical divers known as the Starfish Enterprise left Plymouth, England aboard the 24m-long Royal Navy fleet tender Loyal Watcher in search of the wreck.