An overboard incident took place on a ferry voyage, resulting in the death of a seven-year-old boy and his mother.
Swedish authorities have opened an investigation into the deaths. Oessur Jarleivson Hilduberg, head of the Danish Maritime Accident Investigation Board, said: “Our investigation showed quite clearly that it was not an accident.”
Lead Prosecutor Stina Brindmark spoke on the investigation, saying that the priority was to find out exactly what happened during the ferry trip from Sweden to Poland. Eyewitnesses have reported that the boy plunged from the Stena Spirit ferry first, with his mother following suit, presumably in an attempt to save her child. The height from which the boy fell is estimated to be around 65 feet, according to officials from the Swedish Maritime Administration.
The horrifying scene unfolded in front of distressed ferry passengers who watched as a rescue helicopter was scrambled to find and save the mother and child. Regrettably, by the time they were discovered and transported to a Swedish hospital, both were declared deceased.
The mother and child were in the water for approximately an hour before they were found and brought ashore. Polish police confirmed the deaths after attempts to resuscitate them proved unsuccessful.
The Stena Spirit ferry was traveling from Karlskrona, Sweden, to Gdynia, Poland, with 310 passengers on board when the tragedy occurred. A representative of Stena Line, Agnieszka Zembrzycka, confirmed that there is no indication of any technical fault with the ferry, and the company is fully supporting the ongoing investigation.
Stefan Elfstrom, another spokesperson for Stena Line, assured that the crew responded promptly to the emergency. He also shared that some personal items of the victims had been found on the ferry. Swedish police have reached out to Polish passengers in the hope that they may have information that could assist the investigation.