# Croatian Army rescue of Roman ship replica > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/croatian-army-rescue-of-roman-ship-replica > Updated: 2026-08-29T07:07:06.000Z. Sources: 14. Developments: 3. The Croatian Army has been deployed to the Drava River near Osijek to assist in the rescue of the ‘Danuvina Alacris’, an 18-metre long replica of an ancient Roman galley. Built by the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg as part of a European project, the vessel—valued at approximately one million euros—became stranded on a sandbank due to exceptionally low water levels and heatwaves. To prevent irreversible structural damage from the hull drying out and cracking, military engineers have been continuously watering the wood and securing the structure with wooden beams. Eighteen personnel from the Croatian Armed Forces, including members of the Engineering Battalion of the Guards Armoured-Mechanised Brigade, have been managing the operation, constructing access routes and special sliding skis to facilitate moving the vessel back into the water. The operation was authorized by Croatian Defence Minister Ivan Anušić following a request from the German university. On August 26, firefighters from the Public Firefighting Department Osijek and members of the Croatian Army successfully completed a multi-hour salvage operation. During the extraction, the vessel’s porous construction caused it to fill with water, requiring crews to pump it out to manage its estimated six-ton weight. The replica, designed to hold 24 oarsmen, was towed to the Nemetin transit port and subsequently loaded onto a flatbed truck using a crane. Following the successful recovery, the ship has been transported back to Germany as part of an international project researching Roman river navigation. ## Claims - The Danuvina Alacris, a replica of an ancient Roman ship, became stranded on a sandbank in the Drava River due to low water levels. (corroborated by 4 sources) - A total of 18 members of the Croatian Army participated in the rescue operation. (corroborated by 4 sources) - Croatian Army engineers constructed special sliding skis to move the vessel toward deeper water. (corroborated by 4 sources) - The Osijek Public Fire Brigade assisted by pumping water out of the ship to prevent it from sinking. (corroborated by 4 sources) - The Danuvina Alacris was successfully rescued and returned to Germany. (corroborated by 4 sources) - The vessel is part of an international project studying Roman river navigation and ancient vessel construction. (single source) ## Timeline ### 2026-08-29: Roman ship replica rescued from Drava River and returned to Germany The Croatian Army and local firefighters successfully rescued the Danuvina Alacris, a Roman ship replica, from the Drava River and returned it to Germany after it became stranded due to low water levels. 8 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/roman-ship-replica-rescued-from-drava-river-and-returned-to-germany ### 2026-08-19: Croatian Army rescues Roman ship replica stranded on Drava River The Croatian Army is rescuing the ‘Danuvina Alacris’, a one-million-euro Roman ship replica, after it ran aground on the Drava River due to low water levels near Osijek. 5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/river-recovery-operations-underway-in-croatia-and-serbia ### 2026-08-16: Croatian Army rescues stranded Roman ship replica on Drava River The Croatian Army is conducting engineering operations to rescue a 18-metre Roman ship replica stranded on a sandbank in the Drava River due to low water levels. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/croatian-army-rescues-stranded-roman-ship-replica-on-drava-river --- Cite as: Croatian Army rescue of Roman ship replica. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/croatian-army-rescue-of-roman-ship-replica