A state marine safety report and subsequent media coverage have pointed to the Boxing Day 2023 boating tragedy off Manly as a reminder that serious incidents can occur even in calm Queensland waters.
Marine Safety Report and Manly Connection
The Marine Incidents in Queensland 2024 report, tabled in Parliament in August 2025, found that about a third of last year’s boating incidents occurred in calm waters and good weather. While the report’s regional breakdown does not list “Moreton Bay” separately, media coverage noted no boating fatalities recorded in the bay in 2024 — a contrast to the Boxing Day 2023 incident off Manly, used as an example of past dangers.
Details of the 2023 Manly Tragedy
On 26 December 2023, a 12-metre motorised pleasure craft carrying 11 men on an annual fishing trip capsized during a violent storm in Moreton Bay. Eight men were rescued and brought to Manly Marina, while three — identified as Robert Holden, Stephen Tait, and David “Mario” Logan — died in the incident.
The vessel overturned amid winds of about 100 kilometres per hour, with survivors found clinging to the hull. Search teams recovered one body on the day, a second later that night, and the third the following morning.
Wider Storm Impacts
The Manly capsizing was part of a severe weather system over the Christmas period that caused multiple fatalities across south-east Queensland. In total, seven people died in separate incidents linked to the storms, which brought winds exceeding 150 kilometres per hour in some areas and left extensive damage.
Findings from the 2024 Report
The marine safety report recorded 312 incidents in 2024, resulting in eight fatalities, 45 hospital admissions, and 57 other injuries. Almost 64 per cent of incidents occurred in smooth waters, and human error was the most frequently cited factor.
Investigators found that in seven of the eight fatal cases last year, the victims drowned or were presumed to have drowned. Three of the eight fatalities were known to be wearing lifejackets; among the seven who drowned, two were wearing one. Several victims were boating alone in small or open vessels.
Ongoing Safety Measures
Maritime Safety Queensland has introduced measures to improve safety compliance, including updated registration and licensing processes, a review of safety equipment rules, and statewide waterways management plans. New lifejacket regulations for heightened-risk activities came into effect in December 2024, with enforcement beginning in July 2025.
Published 11-Aug-2025
