A 45-year-old Serbian man has been arrested in the wake of a scuba cylinder explosion in Montenegro that seriously injured a 14-year-old boy.
The incident took place on August 24, 2025, at Ploce Beach, where a scuba tank suddenly exploded at a long-standing dive center, causing life-altering injuries to the boy.
According to local reports, he was standing roughly 50 meters/150 feet from the equipment-issue area when shrapnel from the exploding cylinder struck his wrist. First responders transported the injured youth to a clinic in Kotor, some 22 kilometers/14 miles away, before he was moved on to the Risan Hospital’s specialist orthopedics unit. the child’s hand subsequently had to be amputated. His family, native to Montenegro but visiting from overseas, remained at his side throughout.
A second child, a holidaymaker from Serbia, suffered only superficial wounds and received treatment at a Budva medical center.
The blast forced the immediate suspension of all diving activities at the facility, which has offered scuba and freediving services, including gear rental, since 2011.
The man who was arrested has been identified in media reports only with the initials “MB.”
In a statement released after the incident, the Police Directorate stated:
“Today, a diving tank exploded on Ploce beach in the area where diving equipment is issued. According to initial information one person, a 14-year-old foreign citizen, suffered serious injuries to the upper limb, and he is receiving medical attention. The police and other services are on the scene to determine all the facts and circumstances of the incident, to determine precisely how the explosion occurred, and possibly to take further action within their jurisdiction.”
