Guardia Civil divers find watches and ring in sunken yacht near Palma

Guardia Civil divers find watches and ring in sunken yacht near Palma

Discovery during training dive at around 40 metres depth — valuables returned to former owner

On a sunny winter morning, when the wind whistles along the Paseo Marítim and seagulls circle above the quay walls, a small but pleasing report reached us from the harbour area: Guardia Civil divers recovered three high-quality wristwatches and a gold ring during an exercise in Palma Bay. According to the statement, the items lay in a backpack inside the wreck of a sailing yacht that sank in September 2023 after a fire.

The discovery site lies at about 40 metres depth; an area often only reached by well-trained divers and special units. Such exercises are part of the Guardia Civil’s regular training routine in Mallorca. That valuables turn up during these exercises is rare, but not impossible: wrecks sometimes hold personal items that were left behind in the accident or lost during salvage attempts.

The three watches and the ring were registered after being found and were later handed over to the former owner. Authorities opened investigations to examine the crew and ownership — a routine step for finds in wrecks to establish legal clarity, similar to Raid in Palma and on the Mainland: How Deep Does the Network Reach into Our Neighborhoods?. It is known that the yacht sank in September 2023 after a fire and that the three crew members were rescued unharmed at the time. No further details about the cause of the fire or the exact time of the discovery were published.

For many locals and boaters the news is a small respite amid otherwise often frustrating sea stories. In cafés on the Mollet del Portal, where fishermen unload their catch in the morning and tourists discuss plans for boat trips, the report sparked conversations about safety on board and behaviour after an accident and reminders of incidents such as the robbery in Palma's Old Town where a luxury watch was stolen. Scenes like this remind us how closely professions by the sea — rescuers, divers, harbour workers — are interwoven.

Practically, a simple lesson emerges: secure valuables on board or keep them ashore. Many owners think of life jackets and signalling devices, but less often about jewellery in the glove compartment. Walking along Portixol or Cala Major you will often hear boat owners talk about insurance, storage and consideration, especially in light of reports about organized watch robbers in the Balearics. The find shows that it pays to discuss these basics.

It is also positive for trust in the work of the emergency services. With such operations the Guardia Civil demonstrates that training is not merely routine but can also deliver concrete results — even months after an accident. For the person affected, the return of the items provides a small, personal closure after the loss of the yacht.

Looking ahead: such discoveries may become more frequent if dive operations for coastal surveillance or the maintenance of historic wrecks increase. For the island community of Mallorca it makes sense to strengthen cooperation between authorities, diving groups and harbour operators. Concrete measures could include information campaigns for boat owners about safe storage of valuables and regular exercises that also include the recovery and documentation of found items.

In the end there remains a small but warm feeling: in Mallorca the sea can give back things that once seemed lost. And on a clear morning in the harbour, with the faint scraping of mooring lines and the distant sound of engines, one could hear the usual murmur of the island: the loss was once annoying, the return is now welcome.

Category: Local. Source: Official statements from the Guardia Civil and local operational information.