Croatian police rescued four migrants from the Danube river at the eastern town of Batina on Tuesday morning as they tried to reach Croatia from Serbia, Osijek-Baranja County police said.

While on regular patrol along the river, Croatian police officers heard cries for help around 7.30 am and spotted several people floating in the cold river. When they came closer in their boat, they saw four migrants, aged about 30, clutching at inner tubes of tyres and fighting the river current.

The police pulled the migrants out of the water, gave them first aid and called an ambulance. After they recovered, the migrants were taken to the police station in Beli Manastir for identification and further action in accordance with national and EU law, the police said.

The Serbian border police have been notified of the case.