Crew member arrested after four killed in Croatia catamaran collision

A crew member aboard a passenger catamaran has been arrested as investigators continue to piece together the circumstances of a collision off the Croatian coast that claimed the lives of four Czech nationals.

The accident took place on the morning of Sunday (14 June 2026) in the Splitske Vrata passage, a heavily used stretch of water between the islands of Brač and Šolta. The Croatian-flagged high-speed catamaran Krilo Eclipse, operating a regular service from Split to Hvar, struck a French-flagged sailing yacht carrying eight Czech citizens.

The catamaran had 118 passengers and seven crew members on board. Following the collision, the yacht sank.

A major search and rescue operation was launched involving the Croatian Maritime Rescue Service, Coast Guard, a helicopter and nearby vessels. Four people from the yacht were pulled from the water and taken to hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening. Three others were found dead, while a fourth person was reported missing.

Search efforts continued through the night. On Monday (15 June), police divers located the wreck of the yacht more than 50 metres below the surface and recovered the body of the missing occupant from inside the vessel, bringing the death toll to four.

Passengers travelling on the catamaran were taken ashore at Milna before continuing their journey to Hvar aboard another vessel. Krilo Eclipse was subsequently towed to the Port of Split, where investigators began examining the vessel, which had visible damage to the starboard side of the hull.

Plans are also being developed to raise the sunken yacht and recover remaining debris from the seabed as part of the investigation.

Croatian police have reportedly now detained a 33-year-old first officer from the catamaran on suspicion of committing a criminal offence against transport safety. Local outlets report that investigators believe there are grounds to examine whether all necessary steps were taken to avoid the collision and whether navigation safety regulations were followed.

Croatia’s Interior Minister Davor Božinović confirmed that one person had been taken into custody as part of the inquiry. He also indicated that the vessel’s captain was not at the controls when the collision occurred.

A first officer is authorised to assume command responsibilities when required and was reportedly operating the vessel at the time.

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković has offered condolences to the Czech Republic following the incident.