Terrifying moment Brit tourists flee wildfires on little boats in Dunkirk-style evacuation from holiday island inferno

SCORES of terrified British trippers fled wildfires tearing through a Croatian holiday island in a dramatic Dunkirk-style little boat evacuation. Brits being showered with burning embers leapt into the sea after local hotel staff abandoned them at the Gava Waterman Milna Resort on the island of Brac. A wildfire tore through a Croatian holiday island, forcing a Dunkirk-style evacuation Credit: Facebook/Josh Robbins Brit tourists fled as burning embers fell on them Credit: Facebook/Josh Robbins They were only saved by a flotilla of around 50 local boats steered to the island as a wall of flames closed in. Tourists told last night how they were left “surrounded by fire” and screaming as they jumped into the sea to escape the inferno. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! They had earlier been assured there was no danger and told to go to their rooms and “relax with a drink” by reception staff alleged to have vanished as flames engulfed the resort’s perimeter. Josh Robbins, a 26-year-old mortgage advisor on a romantic break at the woodland retreat with his fiancee Shelby A’Court (ckd) said: “It was terrifying. Holidaymakers jumped in the water to escape the flames Credit: Facebook/Josh Robbins The massive blaze cast a red glow across the sky Credit: Facebook/Josh Robbins “We were left to run for our lives as a wall of flames closed in as we were showered by burning embers. “If we had stayed put as we were, people would have died and we were only saved by the little boats – it was like Dunkirk.” Forest fires are believed to have been triggered by lightning strikes in tinder dry woodland on Thursday and began spreading towards Milna in the east of Brac on Friday. Around a third of around 500 guests were Brits in 139 rooms and 17 low-rise woodland cottages at the Gava Waterman resort. Most read in The Sun Terrifying footage showed the wildfire in rip through Gava resort Credit: facebook/VatrogasciRH193 Brit trippers Josh Robbins and Shelby A’Court described the ‘chaos’ as staff allegedly abandoned them Credit: Josh Robbins Trippers were first alerted by the arrival of firefighting sea planes drafted in to battle the wildfires on Friday then noticed smoke as the wind turned towards them. Staff issued no warnings and insisted there was no danger as flames closed in on Saturday afternoon. Worried trippers were told they were safe but advised to stay in their rooms as online maps showed the fire closing on Saturday night as the site was showered with ash. Power was then cut to the entire resort at 9.35pm before trees and woodland around the resort were seen in flames and panicking trippers – including disabled pensioners – began to flee. But they found reception staff had fled in their cars and were given no evacuation plan – and found the hotel main doors locked shut as the flames swept closer. Brit tripper Josh told The Sun: “The staff had gone and we couldn’t get out because the sliding glass doors were locked shut – we thought we were going to die. “There were dozens of people all trying to get out and we eventually had to prize the doors open to escape. “The reception staff had driven off down the resort’s narrow access road but their cars had blocked the route stopping fire appliances reaching us. A man works to extinguish a fire through destroyed window pains Credit: Shutterstock Editorial The catastrophic fire tore through a resort on Brac Credit: Shutterstock Editorial “When we got outside the car park was surrounded by a wall of fire as firefighters tried to hold back the flames. “We realised fire was about to engulf the hotel and decided to run down the path to the wooden dock to the sea to escape. “ Holidaymakers struggled down the unlit steps to the dock in total darkness using only their mobile phone torches after grabbing passports and leaving luggage in their rooms. Josh’s partner Shelby, an IT compliance officer, told The Sun: “It was chaos. I saw a disabled person crying in a wheelchair because they couldn’t get away. “A British woman fell into the sea at the dockside and it took three or four of us to get her out. “Flames were closing in all around and people started jumping into the water when we started getting showered with hot embers. “Myself and Josh eventually grabbed a paddle board and just clung to it as people screaming and panicked all around us. “No one told us where to go or what to do – until we saw local boats arriving to save us. Anna Saunders was meant to be celebrating her birthday on the island with husband Steve Credit: Steve Saunders and Anna Saunders A firefighting plane drops water on a wildfire near the town of Milna Credit: Shutterstock Editorial “We ended up using our arms and legs to swim the paddle board to one of the boats and were absolutely exhausted when we reached it. “Josh lost his shoes as we swam and I have to abandon stuff in my bag because it was soaked through and dragging me down. “Others swam for it and it’s amazing no one was lost or drowned in the darkness – and someone would be held accountable for this.” Steve Saunders, a 57-year-old electrician from Rainham, Kent who was at the resort with his wife Anna, 52, said: “Anna was supposed to be celebrating her birthday this weekend but we ended up running for our lives. “If we’d stayed in the hotel we could have been choked by smoke or caught in the fire – the woodland cottages at the resort were wiped out. “It was a huge relief to reach one of the boats which came to save us but I can’t believe we were abandoned and given no instructions whatsoever.” British tripper Lorraine Pearce said in a Facebook post: “There was no evacuation plan – we all just ran. “A couple of guests operated the hoses to keep the path to the beach clear for guests to escape …absolute heroes. Burnt-out cars on the island of Milna Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Firefighters battled the fast-moving blaze Credit: Shutterstock Editorial “Local people were amazing, giving us clothes and blankets offering us rooms to stay. Also local people coming out on their boats. Thank you so much. “All guests worked together and we have made friends for life through this. “But why did we not get an alarm until we were in rescue boats?” Gave resort guest Debbie King said in another post: “Even before the firefighters arrived the reception area had been deserted by staff. No evacuation instructions were given. “My praise goes out to the firefighters, life boat crews and locals who made the evacuation possible.” Rescued Brits Josh, Shelby, Steve and Anna were among a group of eight pals on an £1,800-a-week all-inclusive TUI package trip to the resort, which also hosts Brits on Jet2, Saga and EasyJet trips. Rescued Brits were ferried to hotels in the Croatian coastal city of Split and were awaiting flights home last night and no injuries were reported in the evacuation. Small craft including speedboats and fishing vessels sped to their aid after a general alarm was issued. Troubled tourists making a desperate escape Credit: Facebook/Josh Robbins Smoke rising over the site of the wildfire Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Little boats from England saved more than 300,000 Allied soldiers trapped by advancing German forces in northern France during the Dunkirk evacuation during World War II. A TUI spokeswoman said yesterday: “This is obviously not the kind of experience we want our guests to have on holiday. “We’re making inquiries and looking into what happened.” The Gava Waterman resort was approached for comment. A TUI spokeswoman added: “We know this will have been a distressing experience for those affected by the wildfire on the island of Brac. “The safety of our customers is our highest priority and our local teams have been supporting those impacted and working closely with the hotel and local authorities”. Comment now