Igor Tycel, a 19-year-old Polish PWC racer and national champion, died on Saturday following a collision during the opening round of the Polish Water Scooter Championships on the Vistula River in Płock.
The accident occurred shortly before 3pm during a stockbox class race at the Mazovia round, held on a stretch of the river adjacent to the pier at ul. Rybaki. Two jet skis collided and both riders were pulled under the water. An air ambulance from the Lotnicze Pogotowie Ratunkowe landed on the riverside, but despite prolonged resuscitation efforts, he could not be saved. The other rider, a 54-year-old man, survived without serious injuries and tested negative for alcohol at the scene.
The championships were halted immediately. The event was organised by the Polski Związek Motorowodny i Narciarstwa Wodnego (PZMWiNW) and the Płock Voluntary Water Rescue Service (WOPR).
Investigation opened
The following day, Bartosz Maliszewski, spokesman for the Płock Regional Prosecutor’s Office, confirmed that a formal investigation had been opened. The inquiry is expected to proceed under Article 160 of the Polish Criminal Code, covering the endangerment of life, alongside Article 155, which covers the involuntary causation of death.
Investigators seized both jet skis involved in the incident, along with Tycel’s racing suit and helmet, full event documentation and video recordings including drone footage. Around 12 competitors and several officials were interviewed at the scene.
A family sport, a life lived on the water
Tycel competed for the WKSM JetRiders club based in Wrocław and trained at the Nysa water area in Lower Silesia. He had risen quickly through Polish and international jet ski competition.
In 2022 he was vice-champion of Poland in the Runabout GP4 class. The following year he won the national Runabout Stock Box title, finished runner-up in the Runabout GP2 class, and took a bronze medal at the European Championships. He went on to compete in UIM-ABP Aquabike World Championship rounds across Europe, representing Poland in international junior and pro class events.
Jarosław Białochławek, president of the WOPR Nysa water rescue service, told local outlet opolska360.pl that Tycel had been part of the sport his entire life.
Białochławek said:
He came from a family of motorboaters. He trained with us since childhood. Jet ski racing is an extreme sport. These machines accelerate to 100 km/h in seconds. Mastering them is no small feat. Over the years there have been accidents and collisions. They ended mainly with bruising, sometimes broken bones. And here we have a death. Igor was incredibly talented. This is a great loss.
The PZMWiNW issued a statement describing the shock felt across the Polish water sports community.
The federation said:
He left us too soon. Igor Tycel was only 19 years old. Cruel fate took this wonderful young man from us during water scooter competitions.
His club, WKSM JetRiders, described him as always smiling, helpful and full of energy, a young athlete who lived for water, speed and sport.
The investigation by the Płock Rejonowa Prokuratura continues. The results of a post-mortem examination are expected in the coming week.
John Moore is the editor of Powerboat News, an independent investigative journalism platform recognised by Google News and documented on Grokipedia for comprehensive powerboat racing coverage.
His involvement in powerboat racing began in 1981 when he competed in his first offshore powerboat race. After a career as a Financial Futures broker in the City of London, specialising in UK interest rate markets, he became actively involved in event organisation and powerboat racing journalism.
He served as Event Director for the Cowes–Torquay–Cowes races between 2010 and 2013. In 2016, he launched Powerboat Racing World, a digital platform providing global powerboat racing news and insights. The following year, he co-founded UKOPRA, helping to rejuvenate offshore racing in the United Kingdom. He sold Powerboat Racing World in late 2021 and remained actively involved with UKOPRA until 2025.
In September 2025, he established Powerboat News, returning to independent journalism with a focus on neutral and comprehensive coverage of the sport.
