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On April 24, 2025, at 12.30 a.m. a barge loaded with coal sank on the Maas off Monsin Island in Liège after colliding with another ship. The 'Litore', which was connected to it, was able to detach itself in time. The quick maneuver prevented the pusher tug from sinking too. The barge was carrying a cargo of coal. It sank in just a few minutes to the bottom of the river. No injuries were reported. The crew members were all safe and sound. The submerged barge did not impede river traffic. Navigation on the Maas therefore remained possible in this area. The authorities were investigating the cause of the collision. Report with photo: https://www.flows.be/binnenvaart/2025/04/schip-geladen-met-steenkool-zinkt-in-maas-bij-luik-na-aanvaring/

On April 24, 2025, the motor boat 'Cutty All', with two crew members on board, issued a mayday call on VHF channel 16, with no clear position, near Maó. The CCS Palma of Salvamento Marítimo mobilized the 'Salvamar Antares' to assist. The SAR boat located the disabled boat near the rocky shore and took it in tow. It was safely pulled to Maó. https://x.com/salvamentogob/status/1915388301860630808

On Jan 7, 2020, the Civil Protection, National Guard and Customs Guard units evacuated the crew of the 'Hamada S' which had rund aground on the coast of Bizerte near Errimel at the the Rimal beach on Dec 11, 2019, at dawn. Among the 11 sailors were two Syrians, two Egyptians and six Indians. The decision to take them off was made for humanitarian reasons because they no longer had enough provisions on board. They were repatriated on Jan 6, 2020.. The ship had been broken down off Bizerte two days ago, but the local authorities had denied access to the port and requested the ship to accept tug assistance. The captain refused to pay for the towing services after lengthy negotiations before the ropes broke due to bad weather on Dec 10. The ship had arrived from Algeria and was bound to a repair yard in Menzel Bourguiba, but was prevented from crossing the canal by bad weather. The stormy seas had brought it stepwise closer to the coast. The civil protection and the Maritime Guard as well as the regional authorities represented by the governor of the region arrived at the scene. The wreck remained in situ as of April 2025, but had developed an increased list to starboard site since the inital grounding. Photos: https://www.shipspotting.com/photos/3656735?navList=gallery&imo=7946643&page=1&viewType=normal&sortBy=newest https://www.shipspotting.com/photos/3831280?navList=gallery&imo=7946643&page=1&viewType=normal&sortBy=newest https://www.shipspotting.com/photos/3831305?navList=gallery&imo=7946643&page=1&viewType=normal&sortBy=newest

The French Navy was conducting an SAR operation for a crew member of the 'Forbin', an escort ship for the aircraft carrier ' Charles-de-Gaulle', who went missing at sea, as the carrier strike group was preparing to return to Toulon after a five-month mission, ion the night of April 23, 2025. After he was reported missing, searches were launched on board in vain. The carrier battle group, which was sailing 150 nautical miles south of the Toulon coast, immediately turned back to conduct a search at sea. An Atlantique-2 maritime surveillance aircraft joined the search late in the night. The strike group had left Toulon at the end of Nov 2024 for the "Clemenceau 25" mission, which took it as far east as the Philippines. In addition to the aircraft carrier, it is comprised of a replenishment ship, three frigates, and a nuclear-powered attack submarine.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has determined that an inexperienced pilot’s failure to compensate for outdraft current, combined with cell phone use, led to the allision of the 'Amber Brittany' with a vane dake on the Ohio River on March 8, 2024. The tug was pushing 15 barges and navigating out of the McAlpine Locks in Louisville, Kentucky, when the accident happened. The allision caused the tow to break apart, sending 10 barges downstream and resulting in approximately $1.3 million in damage to barges, cargo, and dam gates. The accident sequence began as the 'Amber Brittany' made a port turn while passing under the L&I Railroad Bridge. The vessel encountered a strong outdraft current, created by nearly fully open dam gates and rising river levels. Despite the pilot’s attempts, they failed to effectively counteract the current’s force. Two critical factors contributed to the accident. First, the pilot lacked experience navigating the McAlpine Locks and Dam area. While company personnel believed the pilot had previous Ohio River experience, they later admitted to investigators having no prior operations in the area. Second, cell phone records showed the pilot was actively using their personal phone immediately before the incident, with text messages coinciding with the vessel’s departure from its intended course. The safety board specifically addressed the dangers of mobile device use in challenging navigation situations. Using cell phones and other wireless electronic devices has been demonstrated to be visually, manually, and cognitively distracting, and sending or reading text messages is potentially even more distracting than talking because texting requires visual attention to the display screen of the device. Rull report: https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/MIR2514.pdf