A 39-year-old Australian tourist has died in a boat capsize incident off the coast of the Indonesian island of Bali. The boat, reportedly carrying 13 people, including 11 Australians, capsized in waters near Denpasar on Friday morning, 21st March 2025, at around 8:30 a.m.
The Australian tourist who died has been identified as Anna Maree, a woman from Canberra. She reportedly passed away while snorkelling.
Klungkung Police Public Relations Section officer, Iptu Agus Widiono, confirmed the chronology of the incident.
“The victim, who was evacuated using the Sea Dragon 1 snorkelling boat, has been declared deceased. Her name was Anna, an Australian national. Currently, the victim’s body is at Sanglah General Hospital, Denpasar,” said Iptu Agus, as reported by CNN Indonesia.
Two other Australian citizens, Gabriel Hijniakoff (29) from Brisbane and Cintamani Warington (32), a resident of Bali, were injured in the incident. The Associated Press reported that the boat was on its way to Nusa Penida, a popular and scenic island within easy reach of Denpasar when the accident occurred.
Chronology of the Accident
The incident began when the snorkelling boat Sea Dragon 2 departed from Sanur, Denpasar, carrying 11 foreign nationals and two guides to its initial destination, Manta Point Nusa Penida, for a snorkelling excursion.
The boat captain was identified as Komang Jun, who was accompanied by two crew members.
@7newsaustralia A Brisbane couple is recovering after a freak Bali snorkelling accident that also killed a Melbourne woman named Anna Blight. #boattragedy #Brisbane #snorkellingaccident #Melbourne #Bali #7NEWS ♬ original sound – 7NEWS Australia
As the boat arrived at Kelingking Waters, it was suddenly struck by a large wave. The first wave knocked Maree overboard, while a second wave then overturned the entire vessel.
Nearby boats rushed to assist those in the water. A photograph from the scene showed several passengers sitting on the hull of the capsized vessel.
Maree was rescued and reportedly suffered burns. She was rushed to hospital but later passed away. Two other Australians also sustained burns, possibly due to the heat from the engine.
Another Australian woman also lost her life near the same location in a similar incident just minutes after starting a diving expedition at Manta Point in September 2024. The 67-year-old woman, identified by local media as Pamela Philip, had been at the popular dive site near Nusa Penida.
Extreme Weather Hits Bali – Caution Advised for High Waves
Storms and strong winds that have recently affected Banyuwangi and Bali are predicted not to fully subside in the coming days.
According to the official website of the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), wind speed and weather conditions in the Bali Strait remain variable on Sunday, 23rd March 2025, and into the morning of Monday, 24th March 2025.
This sudden increase in wind speed is something all parties must be cautious of, including crossing operators, shipping companies, port authorities, and fishermen in Banyuwangi (East Java) and Jembrana (Bali).
Meanwhile, high waves in the Bali Strait are expected to reach heights between 2.6 metres and 3.2 metres.
