Two Maritime Incidents

In Less Than 24 Hours

Formentera, June 12, 2026

The coast of Formentera experienced an especially busy day in terms of maritime safety after two incidents were reported that required the intervention of Maritime Rescue. Both events took place on Thursday and prompted the deployment of emergency resources to ensure the safety of those on board the affected vessels.

The first incident occurred in one of the island’s busiest anchorage areas, where two charter catamarans collided for reasons that were still under investigation. The impact caused significant damage to one of the vessels and left one crew member injured.

Hours later, another alert notified emergency services of a maritime accident in s’Espalmador. On this occasion, a yacht crashed into a cliff during the early hours of the morning, leading to a rescue operation to assist those on board.

Despite the potential seriousness of both incidents, the operations concluded without any major personal injuries. Nevertheless, the events once again highlighted the importance of the surveillance and rescue services operating in the waters of the Pityusic Islands.

Collision Between Two Catamarans

The first incident occurred at around 10:00 a.m. near the Molí de la Sal restaurant, a popular anchorage area for the many vessels navigating around Formentera.
For reasons that were still being investigated, two charter catamarans collided approximately 200 metres from the shoreline. After receiving notification from the Civil Guard, Maritime Rescue deployed a rescue vessel to the scene of the accident.
As a result of the collision, one crew member suffered an injury and had to be treated by emergency responders. In addition, one of the catamarans sustained a significant breach in its hull.

Risk of Sinking

The structural damage caused by the collision led to a substantial ingress of water into the affected vessel. The emergency teams managed to bring the situation under control using a motor pump while coordinating the arrival of specialist personnel.
There were six people on board the catamaran, none of whom were injured, according to the initial information released after the accident.
Later, a private company specialising in underwater operations took over the work of sealing the breach and ensuring that the vessel could remain afloat without further risk.

A Yacht Crashed Into a Cliff

Meanwhile, during the same night, a second maritime incident occurred near the sa Guardiola tower in s’Espalmador. A yacht measuring approximately ten metres in length crashed into a cliff under circumstances that were not disclosed.
The alert was reported shortly after midnight by another vessel navigating nearby. Upon receiving the call, Maritime Rescue immediately dispatched one of its units to the scene.

Both Occupants Uninjured

Rescue teams located the damaged vessel and evacuated its two occupants. Both were in good health and did not require any significant medical treatment.
The yacht remained at the accident site for several hours. Eventually, a specialised private company carried out the towing operation and transported the vessel to Ibiza to assess the damage sustained in the impact.
The two incidents kept maritime emergency services actively engaged for much of the day and demonstrated the rapid response capabilities of rescue teams when dealing with any incident in the waters around Formentera.