There were 344 reported incidents involving domestic commercial vessels in Quarter 4 of 2025. Of these, 54 were serious and 3 very serious.
- In October, 106 reported marine incidents were received, 13 were serious and 1 very serious.
- In November, 104 reported marine incidents were received, 19 were serious.
- In December, 134 marine incidents were reported, 22 were serious and 2 very serious.
Very serious and serious incidents containing sensitive information or information that may identify individual persons or vessels have not been included below.
Snapshot of marine incidents last quarter
- A vessel sustained hull damage and flooded while moored on a rock bar, with five crew on board evacuating to the nearby shore and activating an EPIRB to seek rescue (very serious incident).
- A vessel sank following engine failure, with all crew rescued from the life raft without injury (very serious incident).
- Charging batteries began smoking and caught fire. The operator inhaled smoke while trying to extinguish the fire and was taken to hospital after firefighters extinguished the blaze.
- A passenger tripped on a raised doorway threshold (door combing) and struck their head on a handrail, resulting in a serious head injury that required medical evacuation.
- A master fell asleep at the helm near a harbour entrance, resulting in the vessel making contact with the seabed before returning to its berth without damage or injury.
In an emergency, there’s no time to plan — a strong safety management system and practised crew training are what you rely on.