Baixada Santista accounts for 83% of maritime accidents in São Paulo in early 2026

Ongoing inspections: Capitania dos Portos de São Paulo has a jurisdictional area covering approximately 150 municipalities in the state of São Paulo (Alexsander Ferraz/AT)

The Baixada Santista region accounted for the majority of maritime accidents recorded by the Capitania dos Portos de São Paulo (CPSP) during the first quarter of this year in the state. Of the 12 cases investigated between January and March within the maritime authority’s jurisdiction — which covers approximately 150 municipalities in São Paulo — ten occurred in the region, representing 83.3% of the total. However, this scenario reflects a decline compared to the occurrences confirmed during the first three months of 2025.

According to CPSP, 17 cases, including accidents and navigation-related incidents, were recorded between January and March 2025. Of this total, 13 occurred in Baixada Santista. Year-over-year, there was a 29% decrease in total records and a 23% reduction in incidents within the region.

Municipalities

Among the municipalities in Baixada Santista, Guarujá recorded the highest number of cases during the first three months of 2026, with four incidents. It was followed by Santos, with three occurrences, Itanhaém, with two, and São Vicente, with one. Outside the region, the only accidents recorded occurred in Cananéia, in the Vale do Ribeira region, and Ibiúna, in the interior of São Paulo state.

During the same period in 2025, Santos led with five cases, followed by São Vicente (4), Guarujá (3), and Bertioga (1). The remaining accidents were recorded in Nazaré Paulista, in the interior of the state; São Bernardo do Campo, in the São Paulo Metropolitan Area; Cananéia, in Vale do Ribeira; and the Itupararanga Reservoir, located within the municipalities of Ibiúna, Sorocaba, and Votorantim.

The Capitania also reported a reduction in fatal accidents. During the first quarter of this year, only one fatal accident was recorded throughout the entire CPSP coverage area, with no fatalities reported in Baixada Santista. By contrast, during the same period in 2025, there were two fatal incidents, one of which occurred in the region.

According to the maritime authority, the types of incidents recorded included vessel contacts, collisions, persons falling overboard, fires, exposure to risks affecting human life safety, and cable failures. The leading cause of fatalities was persons falling into the water.

Nationwide decline

According to the statistical report on Administrative Inquiries into Navigation Accidents and Incidents (IAFNs) issued by the Diretoria de Portos e Costas of the Marinha do Brasil, 218 occurrences (161 accidents and 57 incidents), resulting in 63 deaths, were recorded nationwide during the first quarter of the year. This figure is 74.1% lower than that recorded during the same period in 2025, when 842 occurrences were reported.

However, the area covered by the 8º Distrito Naval, which encompasses the states of São Paulo and Paraná, recorded the highest number of fatalities during the first three months of 2026, totaling 22 deaths.

Despite the decline in occurrences, payments of compensation under the Seguro de Danos Pessoais Causados por Embarcações ou suas Cargas (DPEM) increased during the first quarter.

According to the Confederação Nacional das Seguradoras (CNseg), BRL 1.3 million was paid in compensation, compared to BRL 840,800 during the same period in 2025 across Brazil. São Paulo followed this upward trend, with BRL 71,200 paid in compensation between January and March of this year — 63.3% higher than the BRL 43,600 paid during the same period in 2025.

DPEM is a mandatory insurance policy designed to cover medical expenses, permanent disability, and death resulting from accidents involving vessels of different sizes and purposes. It provides coverage for passengers, crew members, and third parties affected by navigation-related incidents.

Carlos Polizio, President of the Comissão de Cascos Marítimos e Aeronáuticos of the Federação Nacional de Seguros Gerais (FenSeg), stated that maritime and nautical accidents involving fatalities are linked to a combination of factors.

These include increased vessel traffic for recreational activities, fishing, and transportation, which increases exposure to risk, “as well as operational safety failures, negligent operation, inadequate maintenance, and deficiencies in the use of protective equipment.”