Shipwreck: First officer in custody – investigations in Croatia are ongoing

​Four sailors lost their lives in a collision between a ferry and a sailing boat on Sunday 14 June, between the islands of Brač and Šolta. The first officer of the catamaran is now in custody pending trial. The investigation into the cause of the accident is still ongoing in Croatia.

A tragedy occurred in the Splitska Vrata strait between the islands of Brač and Šolta on Sunday morning (14 June). The catamaran The “Krilo Eclipse” collided with a sailing yacht on the regular route between Split and Hvar a Beneteau Oceanis 56.1. The sailing boat sank immediately following the collision. A large-scale search and rescue operation was launched straight away. Four people were rescued from the water and taken to hospital. Three others were found dead. The search continued throughout the night. On Monday (15 June), police divers discovered the wreck of the yacht at a depth of more than 50 metres and found the body of the missing person inside the vessel. The Splitska Vrata strait is notorious during the season for being the scene of frequent dangerous incidents.

Initial findings following the collision in Croatia

The investigation points to serious technical faults, as reported by various Croatian media outlets. At the time of the collision, neither the catamaran’s radar nor its collision warning system is said to have been working. The gyrocompass is said to have failed completely. Despite these failures, the catamaran was travelling through the strait at 32 knots. This speed was deemed inappropriate given the density of maritime traffic in this area. Croatian Interior Minister Davor Božinović confirmed the strong suspicion that no collision-prevention measures whatsoever were taken on the catamaran’s bridge. The catamaran’s passengers were disembarked at Milna before continuing their journey to Hvar on board another vessel. The “Krilo Eclipse” was towed to the port of Split, where investigators began examining the vessel. The vessel shows visible damage to the starboard side of the hull.

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Sailing boat with limited manoeuvrability

At the time of the collision, the sailing boat was travelling under sail alone, without using its engine. The yacht was approaching the catamaran from the right, but its manoeuvrability was severely restricted as it was under sail only. At the time of the accident, the yacht was being steered by a 64-year-old Czech man, who was killed in the collision. According to media reports, this man was not listed as the official skipper in the charter agreement. He attempted to avoid the collision at the last moment, as did the ferry’s first officer, who tried to reduce speed. The sailing yacht’s officially registered skipper left Croatia immediately after his own discharge from hospital.

The captain was absent from the catamaran’s bridge

The investigation revealed that the regular captain was not on the bridge at the time of the collision. Responsibility lies instead with the 33-year-old first officer. This has been reported by, amongst others, morski.hr. Under maritime law, the captain is not required to be on the bridge whilst the vessel is passing through the Strait of Split, as the strait is not legally classified as a narrow strait. The first officer had sole command of the vessel at that time. The captain of the catamaran is not facing charges. The Croatian police therefore arrested the first officer, who is currently in pre-trial detention. He is under investigation for causing a serious maritime accident resulting in death through negligence. The authorities’ response has been remarkably swift, as Local Insider report. In contrast to the often protracted investigations following shipping accidents in the Adriatic, which can take up to a year, the judicial authorities are acting with exceptional speed in this case.

Serious allegations against the first officer

Under Article 227 of the Croatian Criminal Code, the seaman faces between three and 15 years’ imprisonment. Furthermore, the public prosecutor’s office does not regard this as a simple human error at the helm. According to a source close to the investigation, the first officer is specifically charged with having knowingly and deliberately disregarded maritime safety regulations, thereby posing a serious threat to maritime traffic. Investigators are making a legal distinction between the actions of the ship’s command itself and the tragic consequences. According to the current state of the investigation, the first officer deliberately disregarded the rules governing safe navigation and evasive manoeuvres. The deaths of the four Czech seafarers are being treated as manslaughter under the law. As the breach of regulations led to the deaths of several people, the offence carries a prison sentence of several years. Due to the ongoing investigations, the harbour master did not wish to disclose any further information, as reported by Večernji.