May 30, 2021 - The Marina Kastela yacht fire on Saturday night destroyed 5 yachts and damaged 18. Fortunately, no one was hurt. 

An unprecedented fire broke out last night at around 8:30 pm on one of the anchored yachts in Marina Kastela. Five luxury boats about 20 meters long were completely burned. The damage will be in the millions of euros, reports Slobodna Dalmacija.

In an instant, a fire raged on a yacht for reasons not yet determined. Crew members immediately tried to put out the fire, but unfortunately, without success.

After the ropes burned on the fire-affected yacht, the ship began to float around other anchored yachts worth millions, and it didn't take long for the flames to engulf the other ships. The fire brigade immediately was at the scene and started fighting the flames, which left behind black clouds of thick smoke, making it difficult to see Split from Kastela.

"This is terrible; I've never seen a fire like this before. At that moment, that yacht was all on fire and, unfortunately, it ended in flames. People were scattering in all directions; believe me, it looked like a state of war. People were screaming, jumping for help, and suddenly it erupted even larger. That burning ship suddenly moved away from where it was moored, and the flames immediately engulfed the other yachts. Plastic was burning, probably also oil derivatives that were in them, so it is not surprising that there was so much black smoke," said one shocked local near Marina Kastela.

DVD Kastel Gomilica also arrived in Marina Kastela. The owner of Marina Kastela, Joško Berket, exclusively told Slobodna Dalmacija about the incident and how grateful he was that no one was injured. 

"I can confirm to you that five yachts burned and that the material damage was extremely great. The fire broke out on one of the yachts destroyed by the fire and the cause, although not yet confirmed, is definitely a human factor. So it's not about installation and the like. A fire broke out in the yacht at one point, and the crew onboard went to put out the fire on their own. Their ropes burned in flames in the middle of the fire, and the ship began to float towards other anchored yachts.

The flames immediately engulfed another yacht and then three more. All firefighters are on the ground and the employees of Marina Kastela, and fortunately, the wind was not blowing at the time of the fire. The situation would be much worse, and it is still catastrophic. The fire was localized around 9:40 pm. The ships in flames were pulled out and towed from Marina Kastela to Kastela Bay," Marina Kastela owner Joško Berket said exclusively for Slobodna.

Last night, the mayor of Kastela, Denis Ivanović, immediately came to the scene and said that the situation was awful. Still, thanks to the composure of people and firefighters, the situation slowly calmed down at around 9:30 pm.

"The most important thing is that people are alive and healthy," Ivanović said briefly.

Crews and tourists were evacuated from the ships at around 9:15 pm, and the authorities in the Marina tried to provide them with temporary accommodation.

A big problem in organizing the evacuation was created by many Kastela residents and curious people who came to see what was happening, regardless of the possible danger.

Marina Kastela was full yesterday because, as a rule, there is a shift of guests on Saturdays. Some leave, and others come.

As Berket confirmed to Slobodna, three of the five boats were pulled from Marina Kastela into the bay, where two completely burned and sank to the seabed, one was towed to a nearby beach, and two burned on a pontoon in the Marina.

"All boats are fully insured, there was no major damage in Marina Kastela, and the police are now doing their job to determine the circumstances and cause of the fire," said Berket, who unofficially told Slobodna that the fire started from the kitchen of the destroyed yacht.

When asked if this incident will affect the Small Shipbuilding Days, which starts next week in Marina Kastela, Berket said that it would not because the event is being held in a completely different part of Marina Kastela.

For more news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page. 

March 2, 2020 - On Sunday, Boris Milosic, a member of the Split Diving Club, broke the world record for walking underwater at the Marina Kastela pool!

Namely, Boris is the first man to walk 100 meters underwater and thus enter the Guinness Book of Records, while he also set a world record for diving a year ago in Serbia.

Before the competition, Dalmacija Danas asked Boris how he felt.

“I am very excited, today I will try to set the world record currently held by a Turkish diver, which is 80 meters. Physically all this is not difficult, I need to focus more mentally on what I do. I have to go to my zen zone.

Is it harder to dive or walk underwater?

“It's harder to walk than to dive because you carry more resistance. One leg must always be at the bottom and the whole body must be underwater.”

Why did Boris choose diving?

“I was born in Austria and at the age of 18, moved to Split. My parents had a weekend house in Rogoznica and we spent every summer there, so I fell in love with the sea at the age of 7. And from then on, I somehow decided that I was going to start diving,” said Boris, who then took a few minutes for mental preparation and set out to break the world record.

After breaking the world record, Boris was visibly thrilled:

"I thank everyone who supported me, my family, my coach, and my sponsors. I'm so excited,” he said.

Boris Milosic is a 23-year member of the Split Diving Club. He was first in the public eye exactly a year ago, when he set a world record for diving in the Bi-Fin discipline in Serbia.

TCN wrote about Boris’ venture on Saturday.

“The rule is that the body must be completely underwater and you must walk in the pool for as long as possible. One foot always has to touch the floor, and when walking, I have to watch the buoyancy of the body. Currently, the record is 79 meters, and I intend to become the first person to walk 100 meters underwater,” Boris Milosic said about making history on Sunday.

“Breathing is a mentally demanding sport. This is a pretty difficult discipline. There are dynamic disciplines where you are moving and static disciplines where you are not. This is something in between,” Boris added.

He will try to complete the venture in less than four minutes.

“I don't think a person who is not into diving can cross half a pool. I'll try to make it in less than four minutes, and if I enjoy it too much, it might be over four minutes - it will be ambitious for us.”

To read more about lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

February 29, 2020 - Boris Milosic is a 23-year member of the Split Diving Club. He was first in the public eye exactly a year ago, when he set a world record for diving in the Bi-Fin discipline in Serbia.

Dalmacija Danas writes that Boris Milosic will try to get into the Guinness Book of Records this weekend. This incredibly positive young diver is set to break the world record for walking underwater. The walk will be performed at the Marina pool in Kastela, around 5 pm on Sunday.

“The rule is that the body must be completely underwater and you must walk in the pool for as long as possible. One foot always has to touch the floor, and when walking, I have to watch the buoyancy of the body. Currently, the record is 79 meters, and I intend to become the first person to walk 100 meters underwater,” Boris Milosic said about making history on Sunday.

“Breathing is a mentally demanding sport. This is a pretty difficult discipline. There are dynamic disciplines where you are moving and static disciplines where you are not. This is something in between,” Boris added.

He will try to complete the venture in less than four minutes.

“I don't think a person who is not into diving can cross half a pool. I'll try to make it in less than four minutes, and if I enjoy it too much, it might be over four minutes - it will be ambitious for us.”

His love of diving was born during the school holidays.

“I was born and raised in Austria. My parents had a weekend house in Rogoznica where we spent the holidays. When I was a kid, I was afraid of the depth, until my dad threw me overboard, hahaa. I learned to swim and realized what I had missed. I have fallen in love with the sea and since then, every summer and sometimes in the winter I dive, even without a suit. Now I get crazy on land, while others are uncomfortable at sea,” Boris says about diving.

Diving requires great mental strength.

“It doesn't take me much time, maybe an hour and a half. It is very challenging for the nervous system and takes a long time to recover. In training, I have to think mentally non-stop, keep my focus on it, motivate myself every day because it is a difficult sport mentally. I try every year to get the best out of myself. I'm breaking new personal records; I'm just getting better and better. For the first time in the summer, I reached a depth of over 100 meters in the sea. I still have high goals for the future and that record is just the beginning of a more professional career,” Boris adds.

Boris is assisted by several sponsors and received a scholarship. He has one goal.

"I want to be the best of the best," Boris said ambitiously.

He regrets that diving is still not an Olympic sport.

“Our President Anna Arzhanova is working on this intensely and I have faith that we will soon be able to compete in the Olympic Games.”

He eventually said he was living his dream.

“It is nice to live in Croatia. While other people go to Austria, I came from there to Split. I had no one, I came only because of the sea and it was the best decision of my life,” Boris concluded.

To read more about lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

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