MV Lestari Maju was a modified cargo ship that operated domestic passenger service from Bulukumba Regency to Selayar Islands in South Sulawesi. At noon on 3 July 2018, the ship was deliberately grounded off the Selayar Islands. The ferry had reportedly suffered a leak on the port side of the lower deck. As the ferry began to sink, the captain decided to ground the ferry to stop the sinking and ease the rescue effort. The incident killed 35 people; 155 people survived the accident. The accident was the second major maritime disaster in Indonesia in less than a month, following the sinking of MV Sinar Bangun which killed 167 people on 18 June 2018. The sinking is the deadliest maritime disaster in South Sulawesi since 2015. National Transportation Safety Committee of Indonesia published their findings on 9 October 2018. The investigation found that numerous critical safety regulations were not followed by the crew. It also revealed that the sinking was caused by high waves that managed to enter the ferry. The ferry's low deck height caused waves to enter the lower decks, creating a free surface effect which ultimately led the ferry to list. The ferry's overdraft condition, absence of a freeing port on the main deck and untied vehicles on board aggravated the situation. Incident The ferry departed Bira Harbor at 10:00 a.m local time (UTC+8) en route to Pamatata Harbor, Selayar Islands, carrying 170 passengers, 20 crew members, 48 vehicles and a cargo of currency worth approximately 30 billion rupiah (roughly 2 million USD). Before the departure, officials in Bira Harbor had warned crews about the possibility of bad weather with high waves, with heights reaching 0.5–2 meters. The ferry was traveling at a speed of 8 knots and approximately 2 hours after its departure, the weather around the area deteriorated. Waves reaching struck the port side of the ferry and managed to enter the main deck through openings in the hull. The ferry then started to list to the port side. A crew member was sent to investigate the situation and discovered that water had entered through the front ramp gate and hull openings. Passengers started to panic as the water level increased and some began to text relatives about the situation. At 13:00 local time, the Captain ordered the crew to use the pumps and scuppers to drain the water. However, 30 minutes later, the crew