On December 25, the fishing vessel Rhonda sank off a wharf in Embree, Newfoundland, Canada. The Canadian Coast Guard was alerted the Rhonda had partially sank at the wharf. A boom was placed around the vessel to contain any pollution released. Reports state the Rhonda will be pumped out and then towed to Durrell, Twillingate. No reports of injuries.
The 71 meter long, 634 dwt ro-ro ferry Starlite Atlantic sank off Barangay Corona in Tingloy, Batangas, Philippines. The ferry with 23 persons on board was caught at the height of typhoon Nina (Nock-Ten). The Starlite Atlantic had been pushed by strong winds into the shallow waters and ran upon the rocks. Sustaining multiple hull breaches the ro-ro suffered uncontrolled water ingress. Unable to maintain stability, the Starlite Atlatnic capsized a short time later.
The incident was reported to local authorities and the Philippine Coast Guard. Fourteen persons were rescued from the water and taken to hospital. One passenger perished and her body was recovered. Eight people are still reported as missing. The Coast Guard conducted a search and rescue operation into the next day when it was called off due to conditions.
The 180 meter long, 34613 dwt cargo vessel Cabrera ran aground and sank in the Aegean Sea off the northern coast of Andros Island, Greece. The Cabrera was headed to Tornio, Finland from Larimna with a cargo of 3400 tons of ferronickle in bad weather. When off Andros Island, the strong winds reaching 40 mph caused the cargo vessel to go hard aground along the rocky shoreline.
The Cabrera sustained multiple hull breaches and uncontrolled water ingress. The flooding caused the Cabrera do develop a severe list before it sank with just part of the superstructure above water. The crew alerted the Greek Coast Guard who dispatched a helicopter to the scene. All 9 crew on board were safely hoisted to safety and later taken to hospital. No reports of injuries.
Authorities have stated the cause of the grounding was due to the severe weather while other reports state the grounding was due to a navigation error. The Cabrera had some 20 tons of fuel on board at the time of the incident.