'In 35 years of work I haven't experienced anything like this': Port captain reveals details of terrible maritime accident

A tragic maritime collision between the catamaran Krilo Eclipse and a French-flagged sailboat near the Croatian islands of Šolta and Brač has resulted in three fatalities, with a search underway for a fourth missing individual. The incident, which occurred on Sunday, prompted a large-scale search and rescue operation.

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In my 35 years of work at the captaincy, I haven't experienced anything like this and I really can't believe we ended up in such a situation.

Split's port captain, Željko Kuštera, stated that in his 35 years of service, he had never witnessed a tragedy of this magnitude. "This is a great tragedy. Let's be honest, there's no trickery involved. In my 35 years of work at the captaincy, I haven't experienced anything like this and I really can't believe we ended up in such a situation," Kuštera said. He commended the efforts of all involved, including nearby sailors who assisted in rescuing individuals from the sea.

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We did everything, we had a helicopter ready, boats, and I must praise all the sailors who were nearby and who were pulling the unfortunate people out of the sea. Unfortunately, that terrible tragedy happened and we will have to live with it.

The catamaran, operating on a regular route from Split to Vis, was carrying 118 passengers and seven crew members, all of whom were unharmed. The sailboat, flying a French flag, had eight foreign nationals on board, including the skipper and seven passengers. The port captain confirmed the sailboat had proper documentation. Details surrounding the cause of the collision are currently under investigation by the County State Attorney's Office, with all available data, including VTS system recordings, being analyzed.

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We received the report from the ship's commander himself that he had a collision with a sailboat.

Kuštera refrained from speculating on how the accident occurred in calm, sunny weather, stating only that "things unfortunately happen." He noted that the catamaran's captain was replaced due to his psychological state following the incident, and another catamaran transported the passengers to Milna on Brač island, where they were disembarked. The investigation aims to clarify the circumstances that led to this devastating event.

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We have a VTS system, we see how the vessel moved and we have all the data, but an investigation is now underway.