“There was no captain at the helm of the sailboat that was sailing from the direction of Trogir to Hvar. The rented sailboat had all the necessary documentation and everything was in order with the captain in terms of authorization. However, at the time of the accident, the fourteen-meter sailboat was driven by one of the passengers, who lost his life in this maritime accident,” the website Dalmacija Danas (DD) described.
There were eight people on the French-flagged sailboat with a Czech crew, four did not survive the accident, while four others were transported to the hospital after the collision.
“The captain and two women have been released from the hospital, while one of the passengers, who suffered vertebral fractures, remains hospitalized. All of them are citizens of the Czech Republic,” wrote the Dalmatinski Portal (DP) server.
At the same time, he pointed out that the investigators are going to question the survivors of the sailboat and the crew of the catamaran, which had 118 passengers and seven crew members on board. The prosecutor’s office also ordered a toxicological analysis of the blood and urine of the people who drove or could drive the vessels before the collision.
“On the catamaran Krilo Eclipse, which sailed on its regular route from Split to Hvar, the captain was not on duty at all. According to our information, only the first officer and the helmsman were on the bridge of the transport catamaran at the time of the accident,” added server Dalmacija Danas.
She changed direction at the last moment
At the same time, the Croatian media note that the collision occurred at a time when a significant number of ships were moving in the area. “The sailing ship allegedly changed course at the last minute,” wrote the DD website.
A large catamaran can move at considerable speed, and according to investigators, the sailboat was driving with the engine running at the time of the incident.
The cause of the accident is still under investigation. “Further information could also be provided by the French, who were on a sailboat near the scene of the accident at the time of the collision. According to unofficial information, they filmed the entire incident, so this recording will undoubtedly be very valuable evidence for investigators,” the DP server points out.
