BELGRADE: Croatia launched a search in the Adriatic Sea Wednesday after four young Portuguese tourists went missing in their inflatable boat in severe weather, the national maritime rescue agency said.
The four disappeared early in the morning in the Velebit Channel — a stretch of the Adriatic between Croatia’s Velebit mountain range and the popular tourist islands of Krk, Rab and Pag.
The area is known for powerful and dangerous winds that frequently disrupt maritime traffic.
Rescuers said they had found an abandoned floating object near the coast of Krk matching the description of the group’s boat.
“A report of four missing persons, Portuguese nationals, was received at 4:41 am from an acquaintance,” rescuers said, describing them as “young” but offering no further details about their identities.
