Challenging conditions in the Baltic. Swimmer missing during JW Formoza anniversary memorial

Sebastian Kluska, Director of the Maritime Search and Rescue Service, confirmed:

- Units from BSR Władysławowo, the vessel Sztorm, and the rescue helicopter Rescue 813 are involved in the operation. Intensive search efforts are ongoing to locate the swimmer who went missing during the memorial event.

The incident occurred under challenging hydrometeorological conditions. According to the Polish Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (IMGW), at the start of the event winds reached five to six on the Beaufort scale, with sea conditions rising locally to four to five, and water temperature at around sixteen degrees Celsius – factors that significantly reduced comfort and safety for participants.

Memorial marking the 50th anniversary of JW Formoza

The First JW Formoza Memorial Swim is part of the celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the Polish Navy’s special operations unit. The event, held under the slogan “50 cables for 50 years”, was designed to honour the unit’s history and promote endurance, discipline, and maritime resilience.

Participants were to cover approximately nine kilometres along the Gdynia coastline – from the Formoza headquarters to the former torpedo test platform at Babie Doły and back.

The competition includes both special forces soldiers and civilian long-distance swimmers with experience in open-water conditions. Organisers emphasised that the event carries a memorial and symbolic character, commemorating fallen Formoza operators.

Maritime safety under scrutiny

The incident once again draws attention within the maritime community to risk management in open-water sporting events.
The Baltic’s volatility – rapid weather changes, strong gusts, and low water temperatures – poses major challenges for event organisers.

This comes just a day after another incident on the Gulf of Gdańsk, when two yachts capsized during the Blue Ribbon regatta, sending eight sailors into the sea.

SAR experts stress that effective safety measures require not only rescue vessels on standby, but also constant participant monitoring, precise emergency response protocols, and designated evacuation points.

As one SAR rescuer commented:

- Even with excellent swimmer preparation, the Baltic can always surprise you. In such conditions, every second matters.

SAR operation continues

SAR units and a rescue helicopter remain actively engaged in the ongoing search operation. The services are continuing their efforts to locate the missing swimmer.