When Dejan Ilić was 10, a wreck in the Sava River still had a protective railing and traces of yellow paint. He had heard older residents talk about the vessel before he finally saw it himself. Ilić recalled the childhood sighting in a report from Radio Television of Serbia (RTS).
Decades later, falling water levels have brought far more of the ship into view. The Slovenac, a roughly 113-year-old steam tug known locally as “Sava’s Titanic,” has emerged between Sremska Mitrovica and Šabac in Serbia.
Low water has exposed the Slovenac before; this time, however, residents can see more of its hull than on any previous appearance they remember, according to the Associated Press. Its return has renewed interest in a vessel that moved cargo, passed between governments, and carried wounded fighters before sinking near the end of World War II.
The Slovenac Shipwreck Surfaces in Serbia
According to an August 6, 2026, RTS report, the wreck lies near the villages of Ševarice and Šašinci.
Sand and mud have accumulated around the vessel during its 81 years underwater, leaving part of the hull beside a river sandbar.
Andrija Popović, director of the Museum of Srem, told the Associated Press that the wreck’s reappearance has generated considerable local interest after several years out of view.
That attention can carry risks as strong currents and whirlpools surround the ship, making it unsafe to climb onto the wreck or swim nearby. Pieces of metal have also disappeared during previous appearances, according to RTS.
Read More: Fisherman Finds 2,000-Year-Old Roman Shipwreck Packed With Hundreds of Amphorae
The Slovenac’s Life as a Cargo and Wartime Tug
Built in Budapest in 1913, the roughly 177-foot-long (54-meter-long) vessel entered service as the Vag, hauling freight along the Danube with Budapest as its hub. Its original name referred to Slovakia’s Váh River, according to the Associated Press.
The tug traveled using paddle wheels mounted on either side and powered by two steam engines, RTS reported. Its regular routes largely stopped during World War I.
The war eventually placed the tug under new ownership. A reparations settlement transferred it to the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, where it received the name Slovenac.
The ship later came under German control during World War II. RTS reported that Yugoslav forces repaired the tug late in the war and used it to haul barges and equipment along the route linking Belgrade with the Srem Front.
Its final trip came on April 25, 1945. A German contact mine sank the vessel while it was transporting wounded fighters, leaving it on the riverbed where it remains today, according to RTS.
The Slovenac also had a sister ship called the Župa, which is still in Belgrade. Popović hopes that vessel could eventually become the foundation of a Serbian museum dedicated to river shipping.
Why the Sava River Has Fallen So Low
Limited winter snow followed by an exceptionally dry spring contributed to the current drought, Serbian hydrology expert Dejan Vladikovic told the Associated Press. He warned that similar conditions will likely become more frequent.
By late July 2026, drought affected approximately half of the European Union and the U.K., while 9 percent of the territory had reached the most severe alert level, according to data cited by the Associated Press. Europe has also warmed twice as quickly as the global average since the 1980s.
For now, the Slovenac is offering residents a closer look at a piece of regional history. Its exposed hull also shows just how much the Sava has receded during this summer’s drought.
Article Sources
Our writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:
- This article references information from the AP: A historic boat emerges in Serbia as Europe’s rivers run dry from drought and heat
- This article references information from RTS: Due to the record low water level, a shipwreck surfaced from the Sava