Chaos on the Adriatic due to strong Bora: Two Czechs on SUP and Italian pair on sailboat rescued

Strong winds along Croatia's coast led to multiple rescue operations overnight, with authorities saving several individuals from perilous situations at sea. In the Velebit Channel, two young Czech citizens found themselves in distress on a stand-up paddleboard amidst the powerful Bora wind. The alarm was raised around 9:23 PM, and despite communication difficulties due to the storm and language barriers, the Senj Port Authority located the pair on their SUP board by 10:31 PM and brought them to safety.

Another rescue involved two Italian citizens aboard a 10-meter sailboat. Their vessel lost propulsion and began drifting uncontrollably in the Velebit Channel due to the strong Bora. The crew of the motor ferry "Barbat" responded to an emergency call early Wednesday morning, managing to tow the sailboat to safety near the coast of Rab Island.

Separately, a Slovenian yachtsman reported an incident on Dugi Otok after his boat collided with a fish farm cage. The accident occurred around 2:43 AM. Preliminary investigations at the scene confirmed two Slovenian nationals were on board the 15-meter vessel at the time of the collision. The skipper has been directed on further procedures to determine the cause of the maritime accident and will arrange for his boat's salvage.

In a related search and rescue operation, a young woman from Portugal was found in Butinj bay on the island of Krk. She was one of four individuals from Portugal who had gone missing at sea earlier that night.