New figures have revealed most Queensland recreational boating incidents occur in favourable conditions, leading officials to urge caution on the water.
The 2025 Marine Incidents in Queensland report by Maritime Safety Queensland found the majority of serious incidents happened in good conditions inshore, including in rivers, creeks, streams and lakes, waters within breakwaters or revetments and within half of a nautical mile from land.
Across the state, 70 per cent of reported incidents occurred in designated smooth waters, 62 per cent in clear weather, 66 per cent in good visibility and 59 per cent in winds below 16 knots.
The report recorded 328 reported incidents, which is an increase of five per cent from 2024, Queensland recorded one fatality: the lowest this century.
There were 42 reported marine incidents involving 58 vessels on the Sunshine Coast. There were four hospital admissions and 11 other injuries reported. The local incidents included collisions, groundings, capsizes, people overboard, swampings and more.
The incident involving the death of skipper Robert Smith last year occurred aboard a commercial vessel, so was not included in the report, which only examined recreational vessels.
Maritime Safety Queensland General Manager Kell Dillon said the findings showed boaties could not afford to switch off just because conditions looked favourable.
“When the water is calm and the weather is clear, it can be easy to think an incident won’t occur but that is exactly when complacency can creep in,” hesaid.
“Good conditions and being close to land are no guarantee of safety. Stay alert every time you are on the water.
“Collisions between vessels were the leading incident type across the majority of regions in Queensland, which reinforces the importance of keeping a proper lookout, travelling at a safe speed and giving other vessels enough room to manoeuvre, especially in tighter channels and anchorages.”
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