Rescue operations unfolded almost simultaneously in two Dalmatian sea areas: between Čiovo and the Drvenik islands, a missing rider was found after four hours. Off Kaprije, the harbour authority transported two injured people to Šibenik for medical treatment.
Two operations on the same evening – but no shared accident
On the evening of 25 August 2026, Croatia's maritime rescue service received two reports close together in time but separate in location and substance. The first concerned a boat that had struck the shore in Kaprije Bay. A few minutes later, the search for a missing jet-ski rider began in the Trogir archipelago.
Croatia's Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure published both sequences in a single notice. That does not establish a connection between the accidents. The report mentions neither the same people nor a common cause or weather situation.
The search began at 21:10
At 21:10, the County 112 Centre in Split forwarded the missing-person report to the national Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre, MRCC Rijeka. The search was for a Croatian citizen who had been riding a jet ski. The search area extended westwards from Seget Donji Marina towards Duga Bay and Sv. Fumija.
A rescue boat from the Milna harbourmaster's branch office, a police boat, a boat from the Trogir professional fire brigade and two private boats took part. Split Radio also broadcast a PAN-PAN call so vessels in the area would keep watch and report relevant observations.
Why an island group is searched systematically at night
The Milna crew checked the areas around Balkun, Pijavica, Gornja, Sridnja and Vela Kluda and Galera in sequence. This route shows how a search in an archipelago works: not as a straight run across open water, but along possible drift paths, islands and coastal areas.
Searchlights, radio, several types of boat and knowledge of narrow passages complement one another. However, the published report gives no calculated drift, exact visibility or cause of the disappearance. Those details must not be invented retrospectively from the route.
At 01:10, the rider was found alive
After about four hours, the Milna harbourmaster's branch office reported that the man had been found between Mali and Veli Drvenik. According to the ministry, he was uninjured but hypothermic. Police then took charge of him; the notice provides no further medical details.
A technical fault suspected in one radar report has not been confirmed. It also remains unclear whether the jet ski was recovered and in what condition. The Golden Beach illustration therefore does not reconstruct the actual moment when the rider was found.
The second emergency call came from Kaprije Bay
At 20:55, the County 112 Centre in Šibenik had already reported a boating accident opposite the Kaprije ferry landing to MRCC Rijeka. According to the official account, the boat had struck the shore. Island residents brought two injured crew members to the landing.
The crew of the catamaran ‘Mali Princ’ also informed the rescue coordination centre. The published information gives neither the severity of the injuries nor speed, alcohol, a technical fault or weather as the cause. The impact is documented; its explanation is not.
Dalmatia · 25/26 August
Two emergencies, two rescue routes
On an island, medical assistance often begins at the landing
At 21:22, the emergency medical service requested medical transport by sea. A harbour authority boat took the two injured people aboard and brought them to Šibenik for further treatment. Several links therefore lay between the initial report and the transport: island residents, the catamaran crew, 112, MRCC, the medical service and the harbour authority.
On small islands in particular, no single participant replaces the whole chain. Residents give immediate assistance, the coordination centre organises the response, the medical service determines the need for treatment and a suitable boat bridges the distance to the mainland.
What the official report leaves open
For the jet-ski case, the cause, exact starting point, technical investigation and information about the vehicle are missing. For Kaprije, the cause of the accident, severity of the injuries and outcome of any further investigation are not given. The notice also mentions no sanctions or criminal allegations.
The correct news is therefore not why both incidents happened, but how the rescue worked: one missing person was found alive and two injured people received organised medical transport by sea. Anything further requires a new official update.
What genuinely helps in your own emergency
If someone goes missing on the water, you witness an accident or medical help is needed, Croatia's unified emergency number is 112. Useful information includes the most precise position possible, direction of travel, a description of the boat or jet ski, the number of people and the last confirmed sighting. Anyone joining a search should inform the coordination centre and not enlarge the operation through risky solo trips.
The case also shows why lighting, a radio or telephone connection, suitable clothing and a clear return plan matter even on short evening journeys. This is not retrospective blame directed at those involved, but the practical lesson from a search that continued beyond midnight.
Evidence
Sources & date
Sources support the facts. Planning notes and recommendations are Golden Beach editorial assessments.
Time-sensitive information may change. Please check the linked primary source before travelling.
