Corporate report
Marine Accident Investigation Branch: current investigations
Updated 26 March 2024
© Crown copyright 2024
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1. Current investigations
| Vessel’s name (IMO/PLN) | Accident/incident type | Date of incident | *Status of investigation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opportune (LK209) | Foundering of a UK registered stern trawler in the North Sea, approximately 36 miles east of Lerwick in Shetland. The crew were rescued from the vessel’s liferaft uninjured. | 24/03/24 | Under investigation |
| Baton Rouge (1010935) | Fatality of the chief engineer on board a Isle of Man registered yacht while alongside at Falmouth Harbour, Antigua. | 23/02/24 | Under investigation on behalf of the Isle of Man Ship Registry. |
| Freedom II (CN111) | Flooding and sinking of a UK registered fishing vessel while under tow approximately 11.5nm south-west of Oban, Scotland. The crew were rescued with no major injuries. | 21/02/24 | Under investigation |
| Nista (LK121) | Fatal man overboard from a UK registered 8.18m fishing vessel, approximately 1nm west of Luing, Scotland. | 13/12/23 | Under investigation |
| Amadeus (TH7) | Man overboard, presumed deceased, from a UK registered fishing vessel in the German Bight, approximately 54nm north-west of Heligoland. | 12/12/23 | Under investigation |
| Sustain (UL45) | Grounding and loss of a UK registered fishing vessel at the western entrance of Loch Broom in Ullapool, Scotland. The crew were rescued uninjured. | 16/11/23 | Under investigation |
| Spirit of Discovery (9802683) | Loss of propulsion of a UK registered passenger vessel in the Bay of Biscay, resulting in multiple passenger injuries during heavy weather. | 04/11/23 | Under investigation |
| Verity (9229178) / Polesie (9488097) | Collision between the Isle of Man registered general cargo vessel Verity and the Bahamas registered bulk carrier Polesie in the German Bight traffic separation scheme, resulting in the sinking of Verity with the loss of 1 life. Two of the remaining 6 crew members were recovered from the water and 4 are missing, presumed deceased. | 24/10/23 | Under investigation on behalf of the Isle of Man Ship Registry as the lead marine safety investigation state, and in agreement with the vessel flag states and the coastal state. |
| Honeybourne III (PD905) | Failure of fishing gear on board a UK registered fishing vessel approximately 16nm south-west of Beachy Head, East Sussex, England, resulting in 1 fatality. | 06/10/23 | Under investigation. Note: a safety bulletin has been issued. |
| Pelican of London (5273339) | Fall from a gangway on board a UK registered sail training vessel moored at Sharpness, Gloucester, England, resulting in 1 fatality. | 02/10/23 | Under investigation |
| Karin | A passing dive support vessel struck a recreational diver making an underwater decompression stop in Scapa Flow, the Orkney Islands, Scotland, resulting in 1 fatality. | 28/09/23 | Under investigation |
| Lexi Rose (BF370) | Capsize of a 7.29m UK registered fishing vessel 2nm east of Macduff, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, resulting in 1 fatality. | 21/09/23 | Under investigation |
| Channel Queen | Grounding of a commercial swim event support vessel on a wreck near The Needles, Isle of Wight, England. The damaged vessel was abandoned by crew and passengers in nearby Scratchell’s Bay and was later declared as a total constructive loss. | 20/07/23 | Consultation stage |
| Oceandiva London (9938078) | Propulsion failure of a UK registered passenger vessel and subsequent contact with a moored barge at Crossness, Halfway Reach, River Thames, London, England. | 22/06/23 | Under investigation |
| Lundy Explorer | Sea Safari RIB proceeded at slow speed when the wave action caused passengers to be dislodged from their seats resulting in injuries as they departed Ilfracombe, Devon, England. | 07/06/23 | Under investigation |
| Pentalina (9437969) | Machinery failure and subsequent grounding of a UK registered ro-ro passenger ferry at St Margaret’s Hope, South Ronaldsay, Scotland. | 29/04/23 | Under investigation |
| Indian Partnership (9521409) | Grounding of a UK registered bulk carrier near Misool, Indonesia. | 23/04/23 | Under investigation |
| Equinox Seas (9229697) | Fall of an engine room crew member down a ventilation duct, on board a Cayman Islands registered bulk carrier at a shipyard in Ermoupoli, Syros, Greece, resulting in 1 fatality. | 17/04/23 | Under investigation on behalf of the Government of the Cayman Islands/Maritime Authority of the Cayman Islands. |
| Calypso 2 | Grounding of an 11m Anguilla registered commercial day excursion boat on the north-west coast of Anguilla, causing the 2 crew and 4 passengers to be thrown overboard. Several injuries were sustained and 2 lives were lost. | 11/03/23 | Under investigation on behalf of the Governor of Anguilla. Note: interim report (PDF, 255KB) has been issued. |
| Biter | Capsize and foundering of a UK registered tug in the Firth of Clyde off Greenock, Scotland, resulting in 2 fatalities. | 24/02/23 | Under investigation. Note: interim report (PDF, 257KB) has been issued. |
| Stena Europe (7901760) | Fire in the engine room and funnel space on board a UK registered ro-ro passenger ferry while approaching Fishguard Port in Pembrokeshire, Wales. | 11/02/23 | Under investigation. Note: interim report (PDF, 257KB) has been issued. |
| Finnhawk (9207895) / Humber Saturn | Fall from height on boarding the Finland registered ro-ro cargo ship Finnhawk from the UK registered pilot vessel Humber Saturn off the Humber Estuary, England, resulting in one fatality. | 08/01/23 | Under investigation. Note: interim report (PDF, 257KB) has been issued. |
| Unnamed | Sinking of an inflatable migrant boat in the English Channel, resulting in at least 8 fatalities. | 14/12/22 | Consultation stage. Note: interim report (PDF, 205KB) has been issued. |
| Ali Ka (9451226) | Contact by a Malta registered chemical tanker with a berth at Canvey Island in the Thames Estuary, England resulting in damage to both vessel and berth. | 25/10/22 | Consultation stage. Note: interim report (PDF, 231KB) has been issued. |
| Ocean Maid (BA 55) | Grounding and loss of a UK registered fishing vessel on Cairnbulg Point, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The crew abandoned to a liferaft and were rescued uninjured. | 24/10/22 | Under investigation |
| Guiding Light (H90) / Guiding Star (H360) | Collision between UK registered pair trawlers, 34nm south east of Fair Isle in the North Sea, resulting in the flooding and sinking of Guiding Star. | 06/10/22 | Under investigation. Note: interim report (PDF, 303KB) has been issued. |
| Awesome | A mechanical failure and the consequential uncontrolled turn of a powerboat causing the ejection of 10 of the 11 occupants, resulting in multiple injuries and 2 fatalities off Tortola, British Virgin Islands. | 02/10/22 | Under investigation on behalf of the government of the British Virgin Islands. Consultation stage. Note: interim report (PDF, 270KB) has been issued. |
| LimbItless | Person overboard from a keelboat off Cowes, Isle of Wight, England with loss of 1 life. | 01/10/22 | Under investigation. Note: interim report (PDF, 314KB) has been issued. |
| Kommandor Orca (9352377) | Serious injury to a deck officer while operating a deck crane during operations on board the UK registered anchor handling tug supply vessel alongside in Portland, England. | 16/08/22 | Under investigation |
| Alfred (9823467) | Grounding of a UK registered ro-ro passenger ferry on Swona Island, Scotland. | 05/07/22 | Consultation stage. Note: interim report (PDF, 277KB) has been issued. |
| Berge Mawson (9738868) | Fatal injuries to 3 stevedores in a cargo hold on board an Isle of Man registered bulk carrier while loading coal at Bunyu anchorage, Indonesia. | 27/06/22 | Under investigation on behalf of the Isle of Man Ship Registry. Note: interim report (PDF, 305KB) has been issued. |
| Kirkella (9808405) / Shovette (7341518) | Collision between the fishing trawler Kirkella and the moored tug Shovette in King George Dock, Hull, England. The tug was holed and partially flooded, which resulted in pollution. | 24/06/22 | Consultation stage. Note: interim report (PDF, 324KB) has been issued. |
| Wheelyboat 123 | Capsize of a motor vessel on Roadford Lake in Devon, England resulting in 2 fatalities. | 08/06/22 | Under investigation. Note: interim report (PDF, 243KB) has been issued. |
| Piedras (FD 528) | Foundering of a UK registered fishing vessel approximately 77nm SW of Mizen Head, Ireland. The crew were rescued from the vessel’s liferaft uninjured. | 01/06/22 | Consultation stage. Note: a Safety bulletin and an interim report (PDF, 354KB) have been issued. |
| Njord (SH 90) | Capsize and foundering of a UK registered stern trawler in the North Sea, approximately 100 miles west of Stavanger in Norway, resulting in the death of 1 crew member. | 06/03/22 | Under investigation. Note: interim report (PDF, 261KB) has been issued. |
| Finnmaster (9132014) | Auxiliary engine room fire on board a Finland registered ro-ro cargo ship while departing Hull, England. | 19/09/21 | Under investigation. Note: two safety bulletins covering separate safety issues (1/2023 and 1/2022) and an interim report (PDF, 401KB) have been issued during this investigation. |
| Mona Manx (9801706) | Fatal injury to a crew member during mooring operations on board an Isle of Man registered bulk carrier while berthing at Las Ventanas, Chile. | 26/08/21 | Under investigation on behalf of the Isle of Man Ship Registry. Note: interim report (PDF, 273KB) reissued on 23 November 2022 with corrected vessel image. |
| Pioneer (NN200) | Fatal man overboard from a UK registered fishing vessel approximately 4.5nm south of Hastings, England. | 29/07/21 | Under investigation. Note: interim report (PDF, 313KB) has been issued. |
| Clipper Pennant (9372688) | Fatal injury to crew member on a Cyprus registered vessel while loading freight vehicles in the port of Liverpool, England. | 20/07/21 | Under investigation. Note: a safety bulletin and an interim report (PDF, 249KB) have been issued. |
| Angelena (BM271) | Capsize and foundering of a UK registered stern trawler, south east of Exmouth, England. The skipper was rescued from the vessel’s liferaft uninjured. | 18/06/21 | Under investigation. Note: interim report (PDF, 314KB) has been issued. |
| Cornishman (PZ 512) | Fatal accident on board a UK registered fishing vessel, 55nm SSW of the Isles of Scilly. | 06/02/21 | Under investigation. Note: interim report (PDF, 529KB) has been issued. |
| Waverley (5386954) | Contact by a passenger vessel with the pier on arrival at Brodick, Isle of Arran, Scotland resulting in passenger injuries and damage to the vessel. | 03/09/20 | Under investigation. Note: interim report (PDF, 351KB) has been issued. |
2. *Status of investigation
Preliminary assessment - this means further details are being obtained to establish whether or not further investigation is warranted.
Under investigation - this means an investigation is being carried out, which will lead to a published report.
Consultation stage - when an investigation is largely complete a draft copy of the report is sent to interested parties for comment.
Go to the MAIB finder to search for published reports and bulletins.
3. Investigations led by other countries
Investigations into accidents involving foreign flagged vessels that have occurred in UK waters and that, by agreement, are being led by other administrations.
| Vessel’s name (IMO/PLN) | Accident/incident type | Date of incident | Lead State |
|---|---|---|---|
| Viking Mars (9833187) | Fall from a gangway on board a Norwegian flagged passenger vessel moored at Saltburn Pier, Invergordon, Scotland, resulting in 1 fatality. | 18/08/23 | Norway |
| Mazarine (9376696) | Main engine shutdown of a Malta registered ro-ro cargo ferry and subsequent breach of its underwater hull on Wolf Rock off Land’s End, Cornwall, England. | 10/07/23 | Malta |
| Isle of Innisfree (8908466) | Engine room fire on a Cyprus registered ro-ro passenger ferry while on passage from Dover, England to Calais, France. The ferry lost power and was later towed to Calais where all passengers and crew disembarked with no injuries reported. | 03/03/23 | France |
| Ever Grade (9820855) | Fatal injury to a crew member when a mooring line parted in Felixstowe, England, UK. | 18/02/22 | Panama |
| Geo Searcher (8028498) | Grounding, flooding and foundering near Gough Island in the South Atlantic. (Gough Island is part of the Tristan da Cunha archipelago and a British Overseas Territory.) | 15/10/20 | Belize |
Investigations into accidents involving UK registered vessels and/or UK citizens that, by agreement, are being led by other administrations.
| Vessel’s name (IMO/PLN) | Accident/incident type | Date of incident | Lead State |
|---|---|---|---|
| Titan submersible | Loss of the submersible Titan resulting in five fatalities following its deployment from the Canadian registered support vessel Polar Prince (IMO 5329566) in the North Atlantic Ocean close to the Titanic wreck site. The United Kingdom has registered as a substantially interested state to the marine safety investigations being conducted by the authorities in Canada and the United States of America. | 18/06/23 | Canada, United States of America |
| Valaris 121 (9621481) | Missing crew member believed to have fallen overboard from the Liberian registered drill rig jack up vessel approximately 98nm off Aberdeen, Scotland, while under tow. | 22/01/23 | Liberia. Note: The UK’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is also conducting an investigation. |
| Farfalla (9740847) | Fatal injury to a crew member on board a Maltese registered yacht off Antigua. | 08/03/22 | Malta |
| Zephyr Lumos (9864227) | Collision between the UK registered container ship and the Maltese registered bulk carrier, Galapagos, in the Straits of Malacca. | 10/07/21 | Malaysia |
| Viking Sky (9650420) | Loss of propulsion in heavy weather. | 23/03/19 | Norway. Note: Report published by the Norwegian Safety Investigation Authority |