ZAGREB, February 2, 2020 - A total of 1,155 people and 195 vessels were rescued in 612 search and rescue operations in the Croatian Adriatic last year, while 27 people were killed in accidents at sea, the Ministry of the Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure said in a statement.
The total number of rescue operations decreased by 8.5% compared with 2018. Medical emergencies accounted for 54% of all emergencies at sea, increasing by 8.8% to 223 such cases in 2019.
Eleven operations were undertaken to rescue divers and 22 to rescue windsurfers, and 19 swimmers were also rescued. Emergency services responded 56 times to help vessels with engine or steering system trouble; by comparison, they responded to 83 such cases in 2018.
Last year 27 people were killed and 29 injured in accidents at sea, while one person was declared missing. The number of deaths decreased by 20.6%, while the number of people rescued increased by 6.9%.
The ministry also reported 15 collisions, 55 vessels running aground, 23 vessels sinking, 40 considerably damaged and 8 partly or fully damaged by fire.
The ministry says that safety at sea has considerably improved in the past years as a result of increased investment in navigation safety, personnel training and equipment for crews and vessels. The increased presence of port authorities' vessels has also helped reduce the number of accidents. Analyses have found that boaters' disregard for weather alerts, lack of experience and inadequate equipment remain the most frequent causes of accidents at sea.
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