Austrian Skipper Still Missing off Croatia’s Solta Island as Rescue Search Widens

A 46-year-old Austrian skipper went overboard from a charter catamaran near the Dalmatian island of Solta on Sunday morning, setting off a search that continued for days without result.

The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Rijeka received the alert at 9:10am on July 26. The man had gone to the stern to clear a rope tangled around the propeller. Strong wind and large waves hit as he worked. He was swept into the sea. The remaining six crew members, all Austrian, threw a line but he was already out of reach, and within minutes they lost sight of him.

Rescue teams from the Milna and Hvar port authority branches reached the area along with maritime police from Split. No sign of him. A military aircraft swept the water around the island. Weather worsened that evening and crews stood down temporarily. Operations resumed Monday morning with a drone fitted with thermal cameras working a wider stretch of sea.

As of Tuesday, the missing man had not been found.

For context on following smaller vessels, see our guides to tracking private yachts, Class A and Class B AIS differences, and maritime safety tracking.