Four rescue operations in four days. From tragedy at Darłówko to a yacht aground off Łeba

The tail end of the holiday season is giving rescuers on the Polish coast no respite. Since Monday, the emergency services have intervened at least four times: for swimmers in distress at Darłówko, after an explosion aboard a fishing cutter in the port of Jastarnia, and twice in Łeba, where a fishing vessel partially sank at the quay during the night and, barely a dozen hours later, a yacht with four people and a dog aboard ran aground east of the port. Four incidents in four days give a fair picture of what the height of the season looks like from the perspective of Poland's Maritime Search and Rescue Service (MSPiR) - and how wide a range of situations its rescuers must be ready for at any hour.

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20 august 2026   |   19:03   |   Source: Gazeta Morska   |   Prepared by: Kamil Kusier   |   Print

fot. MSPiR SAR

Darłówko: drama on the eastern beach

The series began on Monday evening, 17 August, with the most tragic of the incidents. Two people, a woman and a man, got into difficulty while swimming off the eastern beach at Darłówko. Rescuers from the Coastal Rescue Station in Darłowo were dispatched with the boats R-17 and R-26 and an all-terrain vehicle, with a Polish Navy helicopter held in reserve. A Polish Medical Air Rescue (LPR) helicopter was also sent to the scene, and after landing its crew took over the resuscitation of one of the casualties. The man's life could not be saved: at 8:04 pm the LPR doctor pronounced him dead.

Jastarnia: explosion at a cutter's engine

On Wednesday at around 11:30 am, an explosion occurred aboard a fishing cutter moored in the port of Jastarnia. According to the press officer of the Puck county police, the blast happened during work connected with cleaning the vessel's engine. Two men, the cutter's owners, were injured: a 50-year-old was taken to hospital in Wejherowo and a 52-year-old was transported to a facility in Gdańsk, with an LPR helicopter taking part in the response. The cutter did not sink. Police are investigating the causes of the explosion.

Łeba by night: the cutter PAS-102 partially sinks at the quay

In the night from Wednesday to Thursday, a busy day began for the rescuers of Łeba. At 3:53 am, the services started operations at the fishing cutter PAS-102, which had partially sunk at the quay of Łeba's port. Seven rescuers from the Coastal Rescue Station in Łeba were dispatched with the rescue boat R-10 and vehicles carrying anti-spill equipment, joined by firefighters from the Łeba volunteer brigade and the State Fire Service from Lębork. Alongside securing the vessel itself, the key task was to prevent contamination of the port waters: MSPiR rescuers deployed an oil boom around the cutter and began pumping out the oily substances.

Łeba by afternoon: a yacht aground, four people and a dog aboard

Barely a dozen hours later, at 2:31 pm, the Coastal Rescue Station in Łeba received another call: a yacht had run aground around 4 nautical miles east of the port, with four people and a dog aboard. Rescuers from the Łeba station were dispatched with the rescue boat R-15 and the rescue ship Monsun. The operation was complicated by very shallow water, which prevented the rescue craft from safely approaching the sailing boat, and the situation grew more serious when the yacht began taking on water. Two people, together with the dog, were evacuated onto the rescue boat and brought safely ashore, while the other two chose to remain aboard. Police breathalysed the skipper: the test showed he was sober.

Ready around the clock

One thing links the four incidents of recent days: each demanded a different set of assets, resources and skills. Within a few dozen hours, rescuers from the coastal stations in Darłowo and Łeba performed resuscitation on a beach, contained an oil spill in a port and evacuated crew from a grounded yacht, working alongside the Polish Navy, the Medical Air Rescue, the fire services and the police. The Maritime Search and Rescue Service maintains round-the-clock readiness along the entire Polish coast, and the closing weeks of the season, with warm water, crowded beaches and heavy recreational traffic, are traditionally among the most intensive of the year. That is worth remembering when planning the last swims and cruises of the summer: forecasts, bathing-area flags and common sense remain the most effective rescue equipment we have.

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