More than ten years before the Dali container ship caused the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, a longshoreman from Seattle named Roger Murray boarded another ship managed by the same Singaporean company.

On that chilly, rainy evening, Murray’s responsibility was to loosen the cargo containers stacked on the APL Ireland so cranes could begin unloading them. He moved from one container to the next, using a metal rod to release each one from its fastening.

As he climbed down a ladder to get to more cargo, the rod he was holding came into contact with a nearby floodlight, which was dangerously ungrounded due to faulty wiring. A surge of electricity coursed through Murray, leaving a burn mark on his gloved left hand.

The impact of the shock was so intense that not only did he lose consciousness, but it also triggered a series of health issues that eventually stripped him of his well-being, passions, and means of living.

“There are moments when I wish I didn’t make it,” said the now 68-year-old Murray, a former Marine still grappling with mobility and speech impairments due to his injuries. He metaphorically described his mind as a book riddled with holes.

At the time of Murray’s 2010 accident, Synergy Marine Group was a relatively new player in the global shipping sector, having been established just under four years earlier by an engaging Indian mariner named Rajesh Unni. The company then managed a small fleet of about twenty ships.

Today, Synergy operates more than 680 vessels, holding the title of the third-largest ship management firm worldwide.

While Synergy has experienced remarkable growth and maintains a polished public image—highlighted by claims of prioritizing safety and a commitment to environmental and seafarer welfare—the company’s history is marked by a series of fatal incidents.

A recent investigation by YSL News into maritime events, ship inspections, accident reports, and other public records has uncovered a troubling pattern of accidents, hazardous equipment, and numerous injuries and fatalities—most notably the recent tragedy in which six lives were lost when the Dali collided with and demolished the Baltimore bridge in March.

In just the last five years, there have been numerous incidents involving severe injuries and fatalities under Synergy’s management, as revealed by YSL News.

In June 2022, for instance, two technicians were allowed access to a closed cargo hold on the Synergy-managed Nord Magic chemical-oil tanker without the required permit and prior air safety checks. They ultimately succumbed to fatal hydrogen sulfide poisoning, despite being rushed to a nearby hospital.

Then, in August 2022, a Synergy trainee on the bulk carrier Peter Oldendorff mistakenly attempted to lift a massive 660-pound steel plate from a stack in the ship’s steering room, causing the entire stack to topple and fatally crush him, according to German investigators.

In April 2023, another Synergy-operated vessel—the Petite Soeur—collided with a dredger while maneuvering between berths in the Philippines, resulting in the dredger’s sinking and the deaths of three crew members with two still missing, as reported by various media outlets.

Since January 2019, at least 31 individuals have reported injuries, three have gone missing, and at least 17 have died in accidents involving Synergy-managed vessels, according to findings by YSL News.

These figures likely represent an underestimation, as the maritime industry often suffers from inconsistent reporting standards, leading to incomplete and dispersed data across different jurisdictions, many of which do not disclose such information publicly.

“There isn’t a unified database,” noted Patrick J. Austin, a retired marine engineer with over four decades of experience in the field, who is now involved in ship safety audits. “Different owners apply different standards on what should be reported. Some are more diligent than others about their reporting.”

Synergy’s track record is not isolated. YSL News extended its investigation to include the other nine leading ship management companies globally, finding that all had experienced incidents resulting in injury or death during the same five-year span.

Similarly to Synergy, these firms function as third-party contractors managing the vessels owned by others.

Manage crews, acquire supplies, maintain vessels, and adhere to maritime laws and regulations are key responsibilities in maritime operations.

According to Capt. Ashok Pandey, a master mariner and maritime business professor at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, third-party ship management is rapidly expanding within the maritime sector.

“Nowadays,” Pandey remarked, “it’s increasingly rare to find a ship owner who manages the entire supply chain and logistics independently.”

YSL News identified 117 fatalities, disappearances, or injuries related to the ten largest ship managers since January 2019.

While Synergy recorded the highest number of deaths, it did not lead in total incidents or the rate of vessels reporting such events over the last five years. Synergy ranked second with 18 incidents and a 2% reporting rate.

Four other companies reported more injuries than Synergy. Notably, Seacon recorded the highest number of injuries from a single event: In June 2022, a crane sling failed while loading a 25-ton tank of hazardous chlorine gas onto a Seacon-operated cargo ship in Jordan. The tank fell on the ship’s deck and exploded, leading to 13 fatalities and injuring over 250 people.

The commercial shipping sector is infamous for its dangers. Each year, thousands of incidents transpire at sea and in ports, several of which claim the lives of sailors, longshoremen, and bystanders. These occurrences are increasing as the industry strives to keep up with the surging demand for global trade.

“My concerns about maritime safety stem from my experiences witnessing the industry’s darker side,” shared Roland “Rex” Rexha, secretary-treasurer of the Marine Engineers Beneficial Association, the oldest maritime union in the U.S. “These workers should be able to return home safely after their shifts, but that is not always the case.”

To gather the data, YSL News examined thousands of incident reports and accident investigations from around two dozen major maritime organizations, including the U.S. Coast Guard and the International Maritime Organization, a UN agency. Reporters also checked at least a dozen additional maritime agency websites but found no similar public information.

Additionally, YSL News utilized Lloyd’s List Intelligence’s SeaSearcher platform, a paid global ship tracking and marine incident database, to track which vessels were managed by the companies and their subsidiaries over this five-year span, as well as how often their vessels were detained by port authorities for violations.

YSL News also explored other public records to find subsidiaries that SeaSearcher may have missed, although some subsidiaries and vessels may still remain unidentified.

YSL News discussed its approach with various maritime specialists who generally concurred it was suitable.

“Given that there is no centralized source for this information, this method is absolutely valid,” noted a senior U.S. government official and former Coast Guard member who requested anonymity due to their non-disclosure agreement with the media.

“Even the Coast Guard struggles to access complete incident histories for these companies or their ships,” he pointed out. When they seek data from other nations, “there’s no assurance they will receive a response.”

Synergy: Safety record comparisons are challenging

Synergy Marine Group recognized it has experienced some “very unfortunate cases of death and man overboard,” but it contested YSL News’s overall conclusions and the findings of their data analysis.

Due to the industry’s lack of a centralized source for such incidents, company executives argued that comparing Synergy’s safety record with that of its competitors is virtually impossible.

Synergy executives also indicated that it could be misleading to present the number of incidents without context regarding how and why they occurred. Anand Sashidharan, Synergy’s chief legal counsel, likened it to discussing a car crash without explaining that the other driver might have caused the accident.

“We strongly believe that comparing safety records should be qualitative and take into account the broader context, including the size of operations (number of vessels managed) and other outside influences,” said Vishal Srivastava, Synergy’s head of media and communications, in a message to YSL News.

Srivastava added that Synergy and the industry aim for zero injuries or fatalities and hope to achieve that goal promptly.

Interestingly, none of the incidents seem to have negatively impacted the company’s reputation or growth. Synergy has consistently added about 38 vessels to its fleet each year since its establishment. Not even the Baltimore bridge incident hindered its progress.

As of the time of the March 26 accident, Synergy managed 668 ships, according to an archived version of its website. By September 17, that number had risen to 686.

“They aren’t toxic at all,” Austin commented, emphasizing that Synergy possesses valid compliance documents certifying it meets a variety of technical, safety, and operational standards, “without which no insurance company would cover them.”

In addition to interviewing Synergy managers, ship inspectors, maritime experts, and other industry insiders, YSL News also reached out to over forty current and former Synergy crew members via social media, email, or WhatsApp. Only three replied, including one who was on the Dali during its collision with the Baltimore bridge.

Shershad Nadammal has spent nearly ten years working as a general steward aboard Synergy vessels, where he handles meal service and maintains the cleanliness of the crew’s living areas. He emphasizes the strong emphasis on safety and well-being for all crew members at Synergy, stating that prior to this March, he had never seen or experienced an accident.

“Accidents are extremely uncommon,” Nadammal, 33, said. “The safety of our crew is the utmost priority of the company.”

Following the incident, Nadammal noted that Synergy has been supportive to him and his fellow crew members. The company has facilitated mental health support, provided meals, and assisted many crew members in returning home while the investigation is ongoing. Currently, Nadammal is in India with his wife and young daughters, and he intends to rejoin Synergy for future voyages.

“Synergy is an excellent company,” he remarked.

On the other side of the globe in Seattle, Murray’s family’s experience with Synergy has been markedly different.

As Murray’s injuries became more evident, it became clear that he could no longer continue his work as a union longshoreman. His beloved Harley Davidsons, which had brought him joy, were now too hazardous for him to ride. Additionally, his wife, once relying on him as the capable protector, found herself taking care of him instead.

“I watched my big, Harley-riding, 220-pound husband become fully reliant on me,” said Elise Murray. “He used to be someone you felt completely secure with, like a warrior, and now I can’t leave him alone even with a pot of boiling water on the stove without fearing for the safety of the house.”

Despite Synergy’s complete management of the APL Ireland—the ship where Murray’s accident occurred—they do not hold ownership of it, similar to their relationship with the Dali. Instead, they handled all technical and crew management for the APL Ireland on behalf of its owner, Southern Route Maritime.

The Murray family had anticipated that both Synergy and Southern Route Maritime would acknowledge their responsibility and compensate them for their losses.

Contrarily, the Murrays found themselves needing to pursue legal action.

The companies engaged in a lengthy legal dispute, rejecting any liability. They argued that Roger Murray provided insufficient evidence that he was shocked by the ship’s floodlight, lacked the necessary expertise to confirm the cause of the shock since he had never experienced one before, and claimed that his symptoms were unrelated to the incident.

When a jury ruled in favor of Murray, awarding him $3.3 million—and $270,000 to Elise for loss of companionship—both companies sought to overturn the decision in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

In August 2017, more than seven years post-incident, the appeals court upheld the jury’s verdict. Although Murray expressed relief at receiving justice, he mentioned that he bears lasting scars from the experience.

“I expected fairness after the accident,” he said. “But instead, they acted like thieves in the night, stealing my life away.”

Why is it challenging to monitor global shipping?

Before its ship was involved in a significant disaster that destroyed the second-longest continuous truss bridge span, few were aware of Synergy’s existence in the global maritime industry.

Like many shipping operations, Synergy is usually off the radar until a major disaster occurs that captures public attention.

“Most individuals don’t consider how ship management operates; they primarily worry about whether their container arrives,” said a senior U.S. government official and former Coast Guard officer.

Even those who pay attention to ship management find the industry notoriously difficult to track and evaluate.

The global shipping fleet consists of a complex network of holding companies and subsidiaries worldwide. Ship owners often reduce their risk by establishing numerous legal entities. A single vessel may be owned by multiple companies.

This complexity increases when management companies like Synergy are involved, as multiple ownership and management entities may relate to a single ship.

“Shipping is traditional and largely operates below the radar,” stated Eric White, an inspector for the International Transportation Workers Federation, which advocates for transport union members globally.

White inspects numerous commercial vessels annually to ensure crews receive fair wages, safe work environments, and acceptable living conditions. However, he frequently finds the exact opposite.

“In truth, it’s unclear who is really behind all of this,” White added.

Even one of the oldest and most esteemed ship movement and incident tracking companies, Lloyd’s List Intelligence, lacks complete and current data about ship ownership, management, and the various issues those ships have faced.

Furthermore, vessels can frequently change ownership, flags, and names multiple times throughout their operational lives, making tracking even more challenging.

the history of a specific company’s management of it.

For instance, within just ten months of the incident involving Murray, Southern Route Maritime, the company based in Panama and owner of the APL Ireland, sold the ship to Grace Ocean Private Limited, a company located in Singapore – the same entity that currently owns the Dali. This sale resulted in Synergy no longer managing the vessel.

Since that time, the APL Ireland has changed ownership and names three additional times. It is currently named the Adams and operates under the Liberian flag for its Greek owners, who have a partnership with Maersk, a company based in Denmark.

Murray mentioned, “That’s how they cover up their actions,” explaining that it took months for his legal team to track down the current owner and operator of the ship to deliver court documents.

Ideally, all ship owners and operators must adhere to regulations set by the International Maritime Organization and the International Labour Organization.

However, in reality, enforcing these rules is dependent on the individual countries where ships are registered, known as “flag states” since ships display the flag of their registering country. Enforcement is also reliant on port authorities in the various foreign nations they visit.

Some countries, like those in Europe and the United States, maintain strict enforcement measures. In contrast, others, particularly in parts of Africa and the Middle East, sources indicate, often prioritize bribes over safety protocols.

Mariners have informed YSL News that it is common for vessels entering these regions to carry supplies of Marlboro cigarettes, Levi’s jeans, and Jack Daniel’s whiskey—popular items used to facilitate smoother passage through ports.

However, a ship that is poorly managed or inadequately maintained is likely to eventually face scrutiny, particularly if it docks in a reputable port. Ships with severe regulatory breaches can be held by port authorities until the owners or the third-party ship managers address the issues.

According to YSL News’s assessment of Lloyd’s data, Synergy’s rate of detention among the largest ship management firms ranks in the middle. Over the past five years, around 8% of its fleet—63 ships—have been detained at least once for various reasons, including fire safety, maintenance issues, and documentation failures.

One such vessel, the Bulk Finland, was held in Belgium for more than two weeks after an inspection on August 8, 2022, revealed numerous deficiencies. The inspector reported poor wages, spoiled food, inadequate crew accommodations, hazardous conditions, and missing, outdated, or invalid documentation, alongside inoperative safety equipment and blockages in fire exits, records indicate.

This bulk carrier remained in port until August 24.

Shortly afterward, it was reflagged and sold to a new owner, who did not retain Synergy as the ship management company.

What are the dangers faced by seafarers?

Synergy conveyed to YSL News that it investigates each incident to determine the underlying causes and create preventive strategies.

“Our proactive stance, which includes voluntary reporting and adherence to best practices,” Srivastava stated, “highlights our commitment to the welfare of our crew and the integrity of our operations.”

For instance, following the tragic asphyxiation of two technicians aboard the Nord Magic in 2022, the company’s internal review prompted immediate actions and preventive strategies to ensure that a similar event would not happen again, as shared in a letter to the Danish Maritime Accident Investigation Board at that time.

It is important to note that a similar incident had occurred at least once previously.

In September 2019, a crew member aboard Synergy’s Emilie Bulker lost consciousness after entering an enclosed cargo hold without anyone checking the air quality or obtaining the necessary entry permit—the hold contained palm kernel, which is known to consume oxygen and generate carbon monoxide in confined spaces.

Sitting in a New Zealand port, local firefighters had to rescue the man, who was subsequently hospitalized but made a full recovery. New Zealand’s maritime authority was informed, initiated an investigation, and subsequently charged the vessel’s captain and chief officer for providing false statements about the incident.

According to a press release from the agency two weeks later, the two had “given false information asserting that evaluations and gas tests of the cargo hold were conducted, confirming it was safe to enter,” which was entirely false.

Both individuals pleaded guilty to misrepresentation, with the captain also admitting to allowing unsafe practices.

Austin, a retired marine engineer, remarked, “They’re overwhelmed,” referring to the industry as a whole. “Crews are quite small, while the ships involved in global trade are enormous. It’s impossible to micromanage these situations. Once they’re at sea, they operate independently.”

Like many shipping companies, Synergy employs contracted seafarers for its vessels. Most come from lower-wage countries such as India, China, and the Philippines, often enticed by recruitment offices advertising safe working environments, fair salaries, and amenities like complimentary internet access.

Once they board the vessel, however, those assurances might not come to fruition. Seafarers and union inspectors explained to YSL News that captains sometimes cut corners to save time, defer maintenance to cut costs, and conceal problems to avoid reputational damage.

This is a widespread issue across the industry.

“The corporate structure incentivizes profits over safety,” remarked Rexha, secretary-treasurer of the Marine Engineers Beneficial Association. “In some cases, these vessels are in disrepair. They travel from port to port, and when they eventually arrive and things malfunction, it can lead to disastrous consequences.”

Seafarers working under these circumstances frequently hesitate to voice concerns, fearing they might lose their jobs or become blacklisted within the industry. Many sources shared with YSL News that, unlike unions for mariners in the United States, those in nations like India provide relatively inadequate support for their members.

“We’re the most poorly treated seafarers due to an oversupply of workers and weak unions,” expressed a former Synergy engineer from India, who wished to remain anonymous to protect his job prospects.

This engineer claimed that ship management firms often feign ignorance about safety deficiencies at sea, and most of the time, no serious incidents occur as a result. However, when they do, he stated, it is the crew that faces the repercussions.

“If nothing goes wrong, no one says anything,” he concluded.

“One wrong move, and you’re out.”

The Origin of Synergy

The founder of Synergy himself was once a seafarer.

However, his time on the waves was short-lived. Rajesh Unni quickly climbed the ranks from a deckhand at 18 to becoming one of the world’s youngest ship captains by the age of 26, which opened up new avenues for him.

Before reaching 30, Unni swapped life at sea for a corporate position at Fleet Management, a ship management company located in Hong Kong. Under his leadership, the company expanded its fleet from about thirty-six vessels to over one hundred in just six years; today, it ranks as the second-largest ship management firm globally.

Yet, Unni believed he could improve upon this model.

“After spending over a decade in the ship management sector, I realized that even with high productivity costs, the quality of service was lacking,” he shared with The Maritime Executive in a 2020 interview. “The only way forward was to either conform to the status quo or take a bold step to challenge it.”

Consequently, he departed from Fleet Management in 2006 and returned to India to establish his own company—Synergy Maritime Private Limited, which is now a part of Synergy Marine Group.

Starting with contracts for just four vessels, Unni’s business has surged over nearly twenty years to manage around 700 ships, including oil tankers, bulk carriers, and container ships. The company also features a modern training facility, recruitment firms, and invests in cutting-edge technology and clean energy solutions.

Unni made the strategic choice to relocate Synergy’s headquarters from India, where it still has a solid presence, to Singapore—the beating heart of the maritime industry.

Recently, Synergy did not provide an opportunity for YSL News to interview Unni, stating that he stepped down from the role of CEO in August of the previous year to prioritize broader strategic projects. Though he remains affiliated with the company, he no longer handles day-to-day functions.

In interviews with various media and in Synergy’s newsletters, Unni has often expressed that he is a seafarer at heart and has also campaigned for seafarers’ rights.

For instance, during the COVID-19 pandemic, when travel restrictions prevented sailors from returning home after extended periods at sea, Unni emerged as a vocal advocate for them. He spearheaded initiatives to arrange charter flights for crew members to return home.

Moreover, to combat the issue of elevated suicide rates among seafarers, Unni facilitated the creation of a free 24/7 mental health crisis hotline available to the entire maritime community, staffed with over a dozen counselors proficient in nine different languages.

Industry professionals have recognized Unni’s contributions, awarding him and Synergy various honors, including distinctions as “one of the most influential executives in global shipping,” alongside awards for “environmental achievement,” “outstanding foreign employer,” and “operational excellence.”

In November, both Unni and Synergy were acknowledged at a significant industry event held in Singapore, where Unni received a lifetime achievement award, while Synergy won the title of ship manager of the year.

However, just four months later, a container ship managed by Synergy collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

A Wave of Lawsuits

The vessel, Dali, lost power just before crashing into the bridge, leaving its crew unable to prevent the disaster. A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board revealed the ship had also experienced a power loss around ten hours earlier while still docked.

This report did not explicitly connect the power failures nor confirm if the crew informed anyone about the initial outage, as required by U.S. maritime laws.

Recently, an official from the U.S. Department of Justice stated to YSL News that the collision was “entirely avoidable,” claiming that improper modifications to the ship’s electrical and mechanical systems led to the steering loss.

The National Transportation Safety Board, along with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, is continuing to investigate the events surrounding this tragic incident, with a final report expected to take months or even years to be released.

In the meantime, Synergy and the ship’s owner, Grace Ocean, have petitioned the U.S. District Court in Maryland to limit their financial liability for the accident to $43.7 million, which reflects the collective value of the ship and its cargo after repairs and salvage costs are deducted. This is in line with the Limitation of Liability Act of 1851, which allows companies to cap their liability to the worth of their vessel and cargo in situations they claim are beyond their control. Synergy and Grace Ocean maintain that they are not responsible for the accident, a stance disputed by the city of Baltimore in a different legal filing.

If they win this petition, the companies would only owe a small portion of the estimated $3 billion to $4 billion in claims tied to the bridge reconstruction expenses.

A significant number of claims have appeared in federal court over the past week, leading up to Tuesday’s cutoff for responses to Synergy’s petition. Additional firms with cargo on board the Dali may submit responses within the next week after the judge granted them extra time for their claims.

Claimants now include the families of six construction workers who lost their lives, a survivor of the bridge incident, and at least a dozen businesses claiming economic damages due to the disaster—including a propane distributor in Baltimore and international shipping companies. Legal actions have also been initiated by the City of Baltimore, the state of Maryland, and the U.S. Department of Justice.

For Murray, the whole situation—from the denial of responsibility to the constraints on financial liability—seems unnervingly familiar.

“They wanted me to just fade away,” Murray recalled, describing the attempts by Synergy and Southern Route Maritime to settle for a mere fraction of the jury’s final award to him. “We rejected that offer. They operate under the assumption that they can silence everyone.”

Murray expressed his sorrow for the families affected by the tragedy and extended his hopes for their strength and success in seeking justice for their unimaginable loss.

He referred to his struggle with Synergy as adding insult to injury – a secondary trauma that caused immense suffering for him and his family.

Even though his sons were quite young and could hardly read at the time, they still have vivid memories of Synergy.

“‘Dad,’” one of Murray’s sons asked him while watching the news about the bridge collapse earlier this spring, “‘isn’t that the company that hurt you?’”