A former world champion skier was rescued off the coast of Montenegro, local officials confirmed Wednesday, after he became lost at sea while kayaking. Ivica Kostelić, a four-time Olympic silver medalist from Croatia, was among three kayakers who got lost in the Adriatic Sea on Monday. Montenegrin Defense Minister Dragan Krapović told CNN that one of the kayakers managed to get back to the Albanian coast while Kostelić and another kayaker were rescued by members of the Montenegrin Navy. “Upon receiving information that three kayakers had lost contact with the shore due to severe weather conditions, I immediately authorized the deployment of the Montenegrin Air Force’s helicopter and the Navy’s rapid response patrol boat—both equipped with night vision and thermal imaging systems,” Krapović told CNN. “The rescue operation began at 19:00 and was successfully completed at 23:10, when the patrol boat arrived at the Port of Bar with the rescued individuals.” Kostelić, 45, picked up four Olympic medals throughout his career across the 2006, 2010, and 2014 Winter Games. He also won 26 World Cup races. The athlete retired from competitive skiing in 2017. He has not yet commented on the rescue.
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