On 14 June 2026 a sailboat with a Czech crew collided with a catamaran in the channel between the islands of Brač and Šolta; four Czechs died, and the wreck of the sailboat was raised on 27 September 2026.
On 14 June 2026, a sailboat with a Czech crew and a catamaran carrying more than 100 passengers collided in the channel between the Croatian islands of Brač and Šolta. Both vessels were heading towards the island of Hvar. The sailboat sank immediately after the impact, four Czech sailors died and four other people were taken to hospital [2][3].
A few days after the accident, Croatian police arrested the catamaran's first officer. Investigators suspect that during the voyage he had neither the radar nor the warning system switched on, did not continuously monitor the situation at sea and did not adjust the speed to the density of traffic, so that he did not notice the approaching sailboat in time. The officer denied responsibility and was released from custody after several days [2][3]. The prosecutor's office and the police are continuing the investigation [2][3].
The sailboat, a Beneteau Oceanis more than 17 metres long, was raised on 27 September 2026 from a depth of 60 metres by a specialised company, which had carried out the preparations the day before. About nine tonnes of water had to be pumped out [1][3]. Divers placed straps and chains under the wreck, and a crane on a work platform lifted it. The work was complicated by heavy ship traffic and waves from passing vessels [1]. The wreck was transferred to a ship and taken to a port, where experts on maritime accidents examined it; according to the website morski.hr, the stern is almost completely crushed [1]. According to the server Dalmatinski Portal, the wreck is key evidence and has already been inspected by an expert whose opinion is to be essential for clarifying the circumstances of the case [2][3].
Chronology
- — A sailing yacht with a Czech crew, on which four Czechs died after a collision with a catamaran on 14 June 2026, was raised from a depth of 60 metres in the strait between the islands of Brač and Šolta. Novinky.cz iDNES.cz