Officials from the Hvar branch of the Harbour Master's Office rescued 12 Spanish nationals, including six children, from a sailboat that ran aground in the Hvar waters during a storm. No one was injured, the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure reported.
The report of the maritime accident was received at 22.58 on 21 July by the National Central Coordination Centre for Search and Rescue at Sea in Rijeka (MRCC Rijeka), after which Hvar officials immediately set sail for the reported position.
All 12 crew members were quickly located and evacuated onto a rescue boat, then transported to Hvar around 23.30, bringing the operation to a close. According to the crew's statement, the grounding was caused by bad weather at sea.
The vessel is a 12.8-metre catamaran owned by a local charter company. The Harbour Master's Office ordered the owner to arrange for commercial salvage and towing, and he engaged a specialised marine assistance company on the same evening.
The catamaran was salvaged and towed to Hvar harbour, where it was secured at its mooring pending the conclusion of an investigation to determine the causes of the accident. No pollution of the sea and marine environment at the site of the grounding was recorded.
