AS FELICIA - Very serious maritime casualty
Vessel: AS FELICIA
GAMA reference: 2025-406
Data da ocorrência acidental: 27-11-2025
Circulated on: 02-07-2026
Published on: 10-08-2026
Casualty Event: Missing
Summary
On 26 November 2025, around 16:00 hours (always Local Time, unless mentioned) Able
Seaman (AB) M, a Filipino national, joined the Portuguese-flagged container vessel AS
FELICIA in Kingston, Jamaica. Prior to joining the vessel, he had travelled from the
Philippines on a flight of approximately 20 hours and spent the night at a local hotel
before embarkation.
On 27 November, from 02:24 hours, Pilot boarding time, until 03:12 hours, when the pilot
disembarked, AB M assisted at the aft station with unmooring operations.
Following completion of departure manoeuvres, AS FELICIA sailed from Kingston at 03:30
hours on 27 November 2025, bound for Callao, Peru.
During the morning of 27 November 2025, AB M was assigned to maintenance work on
deck in the vicinity of bay 10, where painting activities were being undertaken. On 27
November 2025, at approximately 11:45 hours, AB M was seen for the last time by
members of the deck crew.
When AB M did not attend lunch and failed to return to work afterwards, his absence
was initially attributed to him resting in his cabin. At about 13:25 hours, a check of his
cabin found it unoccupied. On 27 November, around 13:30 hours, a shipboard search was
initiated and subsequently extended to all accessible spaces on board. Repeated public
address announcements, the sounding of the general alarm and a full crew search, were
performed without locating the missing seafarer.
On 27 November 2025, at 14:55 hours, the onboard search was concluded without result,
and the occurrence was assessed as a man overboard (MOB) event. The Maritime Rescue
Coordination Centre (MRCC) was informed and MRCC Colombian coordinated search and
rescue (SAR) operations in the vessel's area of navigation.
The SAR operation continued until 16:24 hours on 29 November 2025, when MRCC
Colombia suspended the search. The seafarer was not recovered and was subsequently
declared missing.
Safety recommendations
• 2025-406 Safety recommendation 01
To Wilhelmsen Ahrenkiel Ship Management GmbH & Co. KG
Review the company's onboarding and deployment arrangements for newly joined seafarers to ensure that operational readiness assessments take account of factors such as travel-related fatigue, circadian disruption, physical condition and vessel-specific familiarisation before personnel are assigned to exposed deck duties during sea passage. The addressee did not reply to the proposed safety recommendation.
• 2025-406 Safety recommendation 02
To Wilhelmsen Ahrenkiel Ship Management GmbH & Co. KG
Review work planning and risk management processes to ensure that conditions such as vessel motion, crew condition, experience level and task exposure are systematically considered when deciding whether deck work should proceed during sea passage. The addressee did not reply to the proposed safety recommendation.
• 2025-406 safety recommendation 03
To Wilhelmsen Ahrenkiel Ship Management GmbH & Co. KG
Review and amend emergency response procedures to provide clear guidance for managing situations involving a missing or unaccounted-for person where no man overboard event has been witnessed. The addressee did not reply to the proposed safety recommendation.
• 2025-406 Safety recommendation 04
To Wilhelmsen Ahrenkiel Ship Management GmbH & Co. KG
Assess the feasibility of introducing technological means to improve personnel accountability and early detection of potential overboard or missing-person events in exposed deck areas, particularly during sea passage operations. The addressee did not reply to the proposed safety recommendation.
• 2025-406 Safety recommendation 05
To Wilhelmsen Ahrenkiel Ship Management GmbH & Co. KG
Review the effectiveness of the company's Stop Work Authority arrangements to ensure that personnel at all levels can suspend work when safety concerns arise. The addressee did not reply to the proposed safety recommendation.
• 2025-406 Safety recommendation 06
To the Directorate-General for Natural Resources, Safety and Maritime Services (DGRM)
Consider issuing guidance or safety information to operators of Portuguese-flagged vessels addressing the management of unwitnessed disappearances at sea, including personnel accountability arrangements, escalation criteria and integration with SAR response procedures. The addressee did not reply to the proposed safety recommendation.
• 2025-406 Safety recommendation 07
To the International Maritime Organization (via DGRM)
Consider submitting a proposal to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for the development of guidance addressing the management of unwitnessed disappearances at sea and suspected man overboard events, including escalation criteria, personnel accountability arrangements, decision-making under uncertainty, determination of probable datum positions and coordination of initial SAR actions. The proposed guidance should complement existing IMO guidance on the recovery of persons from the water and search and rescue operations. The addressee did not reply to the proposed safety recommendation.
Lessons learned