Illness Causes More Than 80% of Seafarer Deaths at Sea

More than four out of five seafarer fatalities handled by Britannia P&I were linked to illness rather than accidents, with cardiovascular disease identified as the leading cause of death.

Britannia’s new Crew Claims Report analyzed almost 3,000 claims from the 2023/24 and 2024/25 policy years. It found that illnesses were responsible for 81% of fatalities, compared with 19% caused by injuries. Cardiovascular conditions represented 58% of all illness-related deaths.

The results also reflect recent data from shipmanager Anglo-Eastern, which showed that illnesses, injuries and other crew-related cases account for a significant proportion of its active P&I claims portfolio.

Britannia also highlighted a concerning trend involving younger seafarers. Suicides and cases involving crew members missing at sea were found to disproportionately affect younger age groups. While the overall number of these incidents remains relatively low, Britannia said the pattern was also evident when examining a broader dataset covering four years.

“Maritime safety is often viewed through the lens of accidents and operational incidents, but our latest claims analysis reveals a different reality,” said Jacob Damgaard, Britannia’s head of loss prevention.

Despite illnesses accounting for the majority of fatalities, physical injuries continue to pose a significant risk to crews. Hand and finger injuries accounted for 27% of all injury claims, while man-overboard incidents were responsible for more than one-third of deaths resulting from injuries.

Abdominal conditions were the most common category of illness claims. Britannia also identified kidney stones caused by dehydration as a particular concern for seafarers working in warmer climates.

The report contributes to an increasing focus on preventative healthcare for people working at sea. Common health conditions can develop into more serious medical problems when treatment is delayed. Concerns have also been raised that limited privacy onboard vessels may discourage seafarers, particularly younger crew members, from seeking medical or mental health support.

Britannia said the findings demonstrate the need for the maritime industry to look beyond accident prevention and place greater emphasis on cardiovascular screening, routine health management and seafarer mental wellbeing.