Stuck in OTA update-> safe mode boot loop

This device has been used as a Product device, in the field, since the end of January 2017. The previous code was only 9 days old, so I would have thought a system firmware update would not have been necessary.
Wifi RSSI shifts between -55 and -60. The device has been logging data online every 15mins, consistently, with no drops I can see, so I'm confident the Wifi link is good.

Power supply is a 6.4Ahr lithium ion battery, capable of delivering at least 7A, and its being topped up by an automatic charger.

First time I've seen it too, but I've only 30 devices or so, so seeing it just once makes me a little nervous.

No idea. Its 8000 miles away. It went into safe mode repeatedly, all by itself, while repeatedly flashing the new code (my code) and rebooting.

Is the data sent back by the 'safe mode' status event of any use in determining the cause?
What about the 'hard-fault' I saw at the end?

not funny. I'm trying to build a commercial product.