Accident at Espalmador

Boat on the Dune

Formentera, June 27, 2024

On Saturday, May 22, an 18-meter boat collided with the coast of the islet Espalmador, located north of Formentera. Fortunately, there were no injuries among the crew, and no one on the beach was affected.

At around 10:30 PM, according to Maritime Rescue, the powerful boat, a Pershing 54, got stuck on a rocky area near the dune.

Maritime Rescue received the accident report that night from the boat ‘H20’ which was in the area. As part of the protocol, the ‘Salvamar Crux’ and the helicopter ‘Helimer’ were mobilized, and nearby boats were notified to gather more information.

The ‘H20,’ which reported the incident, couldn’t get close to the site, so the boat ‘Zimit,’ also in the area, was the first to respond.

The captain of the ‘Zimit’ arrived at the scene and found the two crew members of the ‘Sophia 1’ in good condition and without injuries. Maritime Rescue decided to cancel the intervention of the helicopter ‘Helimer’ since there were no injuries.

Accident at Espalmador: Maritime Rescue

At 11:45 PM, the rescue vessel ‘Salvamar Acrux’ reached Espalmador and made contact with the crew of the stricken boat, who opted not to be transferred to Ibiza, stating they had hired a private company to free the motorboat as soon as possible.

Experts suggest that the boat’s skipper may have confused Es Pas des Trucadors with Es Freus, leading to the collision. It’s also noted that due to its low profile, Espalmador is difficult to spot at night.

This isn’t the first incident of this nature in the area, and it’s likely not the last in the years to come.

Espalmador Accident: Boat Seal

On Tuesday, May 25th, agents from the Balearic Department of Natural Environment sealed off the boat to prevent numerous tourists from approaching the area to take photos with the stricken vessel, thereby attempting to prevent potential accidents.

According to the Environmental Department of the Consell de Formentera, a company hired by the boat owner has already carried out decontamination and emptied the tanks of the vessel. Although no leaks have been detected, the full impact on the dunes and marine environment will not be known until the boat is removed and a comprehensive study is conducted in the area.