A tourist from Slovakia who was seriously injured by a jet ski in Vir last week is just the latest in about 40 serious maritime accidents this year in the Adriatic, in which more than 150 people have been injured or endangered, including a large number of foreign tourists. Six fatalities (including two missing fishermen and one diver), about 15 injured (four of whom seriously), and 12 burned, sunk, or severely damaged vessels are the current tally based on reports sent to the media by the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure. In one accident, near Drvenik Veliki, fuel also leaked into the sea, and there have been several instances of potential ecological incidents.
It is a miracle that only two foreign tourists have died so far (an Italian who fell from a sailboat and a Slovenian who was free diving). Long ago, as a young journalist, I reported on how port captains under Velebit rescued foreigners on inflatable rings that sudden storms would carry to the inaccessible Krk coast. A captain from Novi Vinodolski even rescued one Dutchman four times. Today, the ‘heroes’ on inflatable rings have been replaced by their successors – on SUPs and ‘inflatable devices’. They are a kind of menace, judging by the frequency of accidents – charterers and self-taught skippers of large yachts who have not mastered even ‘parking’ in the marina, while fatigue and alcohol are additional triggers for accidents. The main risky groups are the reckless on jet skis and speedboats. One of them caused the death of 80-year-old fisherman Mario Aničić and fled the scene of the accident in the Kaštela Channel. Aničić and his grandson Jakov have witnessed reckless ‘captains’ for years. Jakov has persistently reported wild behavior along the coast in recent years, but with little success. Now fate has staged a cruel revenge for him, and the competent authorities have received the most dramatic warning.
Largest accidents this year in the Adriatic
27. 3. Due to strong winds and large waves, the 17-meter passenger ship ‘Brijunka’ was severely damaged and partially sank at its mooring in Veliki Brijun.
2. 5. A fishing boat sank, and the wreck was found on the seabed 10 nautical miles off Novigrad Istarski. Two fishermen were not found.
4. 6. A boat caught fire thirty meters from the shore in front of the camp in St. Philip and Jacob. 700 liters of fuel leaked, which was collected by absorbent booms.
4. 6. Near Drvenik Veliki, the 14-meter catamaran ‘Gray Goose II’, owned by a Croatian charter company, caught fire and sank at a depth of ten meters; eight passengers and two crew members were evacuated.
12. 6. Near Senj, four guests from the local camp were rescued after they set out on SUP boards for recreational paddling, unaware of the possible worsening weather conditions that suddenly caught them in the Velebit Channel.
23. 6. A boat collided with nearby moored boats while departing from the Zadar marina; the wife of the boat’s captain was seriously injured.
23. 6. Near Čiovo, the nine-meter fishing boat ‘Marita’ sank in a collision with the 35-meter yacht ‘Bagheera’ (chartered, under the flag of Belize) which caused the accident. The owner of the fishing boat was rescued from the sea, and the yacht sustained minor damage.
24. 6. During a storm, two brothers went missing on a jet ski; the jet ski was found abandoned, and the Austrians were found on a beach in Ugljan – they did not secure the jet ski properly after arriving at the beach, and it drifted away due to strong winds and waves.
24. 6. A boat driven by the storm ran aground at Punte Križe on Cres; four people were rescued, including a small child.
