Crew member arrested after fatal catamaran and yacht collision on Croatian coast

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SPLIT, 17 June 2026 – Croatian police have arrested a 33-year-old crew member of a passenger catamaran in connection with a fatal maritime accident that claimed four lives in the Split Channel on Sunday morning.

The collision occurred in the waters between the islands of Brač and Šolta, involving the passenger catamaran Krilo Eclipse, which was operating on a regular route, and a French-flagged charter yacht carrying eight foreign nationals.

Police confirmed on Wednesday that the suspect was arrested on suspicion of committing a criminal offence against transport safety.

“Police announced this morning that a 33-year-old crew member of the catamaran has been arrested on suspicion of a criminal offence against traffic safety. Unofficially, it is believed the detained individual is the catamaran’s first officer,” HRT’s Dnevnik said.

The suspect is expected to be handed over to a detention supervisor, after which the State Attorney’s Office will decide whether to request pre-trial detention.

Croatia’s Interior Minister Davor Božinović confirmed that one person had been taken into custody as part of the ongoing investigation.

Speaking about the findings established so far, Božinović said there is suspicion that not all necessary actions were taken during the operation of the catamaran to avoid the collision.

According to the minister, investigators believe there may have been breaches of navigation safety regulations, resulting in the collision and the deaths of four people.

Božinović did not directly confirm the identity of the detained crew member but stated that, according to information available to him, the captain was not operating the vessel at the time of the accident.

He noted that a first officer is authorised to take command of a vessel and act in place of the captain when required, HRT reported.

All four victims were aboard the yacht. Authorities have confirmed that all individuals on the sailing vessel were foreign nationals.

The Agency for the Investigation of Accidents in Air, Sea and Rail Transport said that French-flagged sailboat was carrying citizens of the Czech Republic.