Four young Portuguese missing in Adriatic after storm
Search-and-rescue teams, supported by a Pilatus PC-9 aircraft, are looking for four Portuguese who disappeared from an inflatable boat during a storm in the Velebit Channel.
A coordinated maritime search is underway after four young Portuguese nationals went missing in the Velebit Channel during a severe storm, Croatian search-and-rescue authorities said on August 12, 2026.
Authorities reported that the incident happened during very adverse conditions in the Adriatic: gale-force winds and waves up to three metres. In the main search area crews said hurricane-strength gusts reached around 60 knots and waves in parts of the search zone exceeded two metres, hampering operations and forcing some units to withdraw to leeward areas.
Teams from MRCC Rijeka, the Port Authority of Senj, the Port Authority of Rijeka and the Office of the Port Authority Novi Vinodolski immediately launched search-and-rescue efforts along the Velebit Channel. The Croatian Coast Guard was asked to assist and has deployed aerial assets to widen the search.
"At the request of MRCC Rijeka, the Croatian Coast Guard, as part of the #HRM, has deployed a Pilatus PC-9 aircraft to search the waters of the Velebit Channel, where four Portuguese citizens have gone missing." — MORH/MoD Croatia (@MORH_OSRH)
Signs of the missing boat found near Krk
During the search an abandoned floating object was located close to the shore of the island of Krk; authorities say its description corresponds to the missing party's inflatable boat. Police units temporarily reduced activity in the most exposed sectors because of the severe weather, while the Pilatus PC-9 is being used to scan a wider area.
The report of the disappearance was filed at 04:41 on 12 August by an acquaintance. According to that statement, the four friends had left a campsite north of Senj in a recreational inflatable boat about 1.5 metres long and subsequently lost all contact.
Local police — including officers from the Crikvenica police station who are patrolling the coastal landward area and collecting information — continue to be regularly updated on the progress of the operation. Search teams remain active despite the difficult sea conditions.
Photo: ARIS MESSINIS / AFP / Profimedia
