An Italian rider was unhurt after a technical failure. The larger case lies behind the accident: the city, harbourmaster’s office, customs, tax authority and inspectorates describe different areas of responsibility — and no definitive closure has been confirmed.
A technical failure triggered the case
According to reporting by Novi list, an Italian visitor lost control of a jet ski near Omorika in Dramalj after a technical problem on 20 August 2026 and struck the shore. The report says he was not injured.
The incident is not in itself evidence of a permanently unsafe fleet or a criminal offence. It did, however, bring an older dispute over rentals, a pontoon, mooring equipment and business status back into public view.
The police notified other authorities
Police told the newspaper that they had informed the tax authority, State Inspectorate, harbourmaster’s office and city administration of their findings. Their role in the specific traffic incident is not the same as supervision of business activity, use of public space or port infrastructure.
The fact that several authorities were contacted illustrates how fragmented the case is. It does not prove that every authority has confirmed the same facts or already imposed a final sanction.
The city describes repeated interventions
According to Novi list, the City of Crikvenica reported three interventions within two months. One structure was removed on the basis of a decision by the harbourmaster’s office; two clean-up operations were reportedly accompanied by paid fines.
The underlying records are needed to establish exactly what was removed or cleared on each occasion and who each measure concerned. A municipal intervention does not automatically amount to a prohibition on carrying on a business.
The harbourmaster’s office distinguishes infrastructure from vessels
The Crikvenica harbour authority said that no permit had been issued for the use of the mooring infrastructure concerned. The structure, moorings and pontoon were removed. The jet skis themselves, however, were not seized.
This distinction is crucial: an unauthorised pontoon and a potentially unregistered rental operation are separate legal questions. Removing the infrastructure does not automatically mean that the vehicles were permanently confiscated.
On business status, customs refers the case onward
According to the report, the customs authority said that the person inspected operated neither a registered trade nor a company. If rentals did in fact take place, this could constitute unregistered activity, which falls within the remit of the State Inspectorate. Further inspections were announced.
The tax authority invoked tax secrecy, while the State Inspectorate referred parts of the case to the Ministry of Transport; the report did not contain a final response from the ministry. This is an unresolved institutional position, not an acquittal or a conviction.
What customers should check before riding a jet ski
A reputable rental process includes an identifiable contracting party, a price and receipt, safety briefing, life jacket, clearly defined operating area, insurance information and a reachable contact person. Licence and age requirements must also be clarified before the craft is handed over.
An attractive location or a vehicle sitting on the beach is no substitute for these checks. If the operator’s status is doubtful, walking away is wiser than hoping an authority will resolve the problem after the trip.
What cannot currently be claimed
No definitive shutdown, seizure of all vehicles, court conviction or final administrative decision on all the allegations has been confirmed. A blanket warning against every rental operator in Dramalj would also be unfounded.
What can be substantiated is a documented incident together with a web of interventions and statements about jurisdiction. The case needs a consolidated official decision — and that is precisely what is still missing.
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.
