Four Czech tourists killed as catamaran and sailboat collide near Split, Croatia

On Sunday around 11:30, a catamaran on a regular route and a French-flagged sailboat collided in the Splitska Vrata strait between the Croatian islands of Brač and Šolta, near Split. The sailboat, carrying eight Czech citizens aged between 40 and 50, went down within minutes to a depth of 50 to 60 metres.

Rescue and recovery

Rescue boats, naval and airport police, a helicopter, and other specialized units were dispatched immediately after the collision was reported at 11:34. The National Centre for Search and Rescue at Sea in Rijeka coordinated the operation. Three bodies were recovered from the water on Sunday; four survivors were brought to a Split hospital, where they are being treated for light injuries, none of them life-threatening. A fourth person remained missing. An underwater drone located the sunken sailboat later that day, at a depth of more than 50 metres, and it was thought the missing person could be inside.

“It is a great tragedy. In more than thirty years of service, I have not experienced anything like it.”

On Monday morning, police divers reached the wreck and found the fourth body in the sailboat’s cabin. The recovery of the wreck is set to follow, though the depth makes the operation difficult and dangerous.

Safety warnings and investigation

Croatian authorities are examining navigation records and questioning witnesses; the cause of the collision is not yet known. Maritime expert Jurica Gašpar, editor of Morski.hr, said specialists have warned for years about insufficient traffic control in the Splitska Vrata strait, the busiest maritime zone in the Adriatic. He added that many smaller vessels disregard safety rules by cutting directly in front of large ships, and maritime law does not always clearly assign right of way.

“Unfortunately, we only react when such a tragedy occurs. Several years ago, we warned about the possible consequences of insufficient traffic control on the busiest shipping routes.”

Czech sailor Marcel Mourek told CNN Prima News that the strait is about half a mile wide, leaving very little room to manoeuvre. He said if the catamaran entered at full speed — roughly 220 metres in ten seconds — there is almost no time to react.

Official reactions

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković expressed sincere condolences to the families of the victims and to Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, wishing a speedy recovery to the injured. Croatian Foreign and European Affairs Minister Gordan Grlić Radman also offered condolences on social media. The Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that all four victims were Czech citizens; three of them came from one municipality in the Opava region.