The bodies of three Egyptian nationals were recovered from a river near the Croatian capital of Zagreb on Tuesday, 22 July, Croatian police said.
The men had been reported missing two days earlier after they disappeared while swimming in the Sava River, a waterway known for strong currents in the area near Zagreb.
According to a police statement, the three were last seen on Sunday by a friend before they went for a swim. After their disappearance was reported, police, firefighters, and rescue teams launched an intensive search operation. Two bodies were recovered by police on Tuesday, while firefighters later found and retrieved the third victim.
The identities of the victims have not yet been officially released by authorities. Croatian media reports indicated that the youngest man, aged 21, entered the river first and may not have been aware of the dangerous currents at that location.
When he began to drown, his two companions, aged 31 and 46, jumped into the river in an attempt to rescue him, but all three were swept away by the current.
A resident quoted by Croatian media said the victims were believed to be two brothers and their cousin.
The incident comes as Croatia hosts a growing Egyptian community. In 2025, the country issued more than 5,500 residence and work permits to Egyptian nationals, making Egyptians the ninth-largest group of foreign workers in Croatia.
