Fourth victim recovered from deadly maritime accident

The body of a fourth victim from Sunday’s deadly maritime accident near Split has been recovered from a cabin inside the sunken vessel.

Eight Czech nationals were on board a rented sailing yacht when it collided with a passenger catamaran between the islands of Brač and Šolta.

The company Kapetan Luka Krilo d.o.o., the owner and operator of the catamaran, issued a statement expressing condolences to the families of the victims.

“We extend our deepest condolences to the families, loved ones and friends of the victims. This tragedy has deeply affected our company, management and employees. From the outset, we have been fully cooperating with the authorities to help establish the facts surrounding the accident as quickly and thoroughly as possible. We are also committed to providing ongoing support to our crew members and everyone affected by this incident.”

Harbourmaster Željko Kuštera said recovery efforts remain extremely difficult due to underwater conditions.

“The conditions underwater are extremely challenging, with ropes, cables and other obstacles complicating the operation. Our priority is to prevent any further tragedy. This is a deeply sad situation, and our thoughts are with the victims and their families. It has also been psychologically difficult for the catamaran crew. I do not want to speculate on the circumstances of the incident while the investigation by the County State Attorney's Office is ongoing,” he said.

Slaven Bušić from the Maritime Accident Investigation Agency said the focus is now on determining the cause of the accident.

“Once we establish exactly how it occurred, the investigation can focus on determining the cause — whether it was a technical failure, operational error, or human error. We are committed to finding those answers. The deadline for the final accident report is one year, but our priority is not speed, but producing a thorough, detailed and accurate report that fully explains what happened,” he said.

Recovery operations and a full investigation are ongoing.