British tourists forced to make 'Dunkirk-style' evacuation after wildfires ravage tourist hotspot

Guests were driven into the sea by the advancing flames, with no evacuation plan.

Approximately a third of those staying at the resort were British, many on £1,800-a-week all-inclusive TUI packages.

A fleet of roughly 50 boats crewed by local residents arrived to pluck the stranded tourists from the shoreline in a scene one survivor compared to the Dunkirk evacuation.

Close to 700 people were ultimately rescued from the island on Sunday, with no injuries reported.

Josh Robbins, 26, said that at 10pm local time on Saturday, guests were assured the blaze posed no threat and were advised to return to their rooms.

Staff even suggested they "relax with a drink" while flames closed in around the property.

Just five minutes later, Mr Robbins stepped outside to discover the fire had reached within 20 feet of the building.

By then, reception and other staff had already disappeared.

He told The Sun: "It was terrifying. We were left to run for our lives as a wall of flames closed in as we were showered by burning embers."

When the power failed at 9.35pm, the resort's sliding glass doors locked shut, trapping an elderly couple inside.

Dozens of panicked guests were forced to wrench the doors open to escape.

Lightning strikes on Thursday are thought to have sparked the wildfire, which then spread eastward toward Milna on Friday.

Hundreds of firefighters were deployed to battle the blaze, supported by four aerial firefighting aircraft.

Croatian authorities subsequently confirmed that no open flames remained on the island.

Mr Robbins recounted how departing staff had driven their vehicles down the resort's single narrow access road, creating a blockage that prevented fire engines from reaching the property.

He said: "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."

Guests scrambled towards the water as the flames advanced, with some jumping directly into the ocean to avoid being burnt.

Local boats reached the beach at approximately 11pm, yet TUI's evacuation alert did not arrive until around 11.30pm, by which time survivors were already aboard rescue vessels.

British tourist Lorraine Pearce questioned the delay on Facebook: "But why did we not get an alarm until we were in rescue boats?"

Ms Pearce also praised fellow guests who had grabbed hoses to keep the escape route to the beach passable, calling them "absolute heroes."

She described how Croatian locals provided clothing, blankets and accommodation to those who had fled with nothing.

She wrote: "Local people were amazing, giving us clothes and blankets offering us rooms to stay."

All evacuated tourists were subsequently transported to the coastal city of Split.

A spokesman for TUI said: "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."