A tragic incident unfolded on a ferry traveling from Sweden to Poland, resulting in the death of a seven-year-old Polish boy and his mother. Swedish authorities have launched a homicide investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident. While no suspects have been identified, the investigation aims to shed light on what transpired. The incident occurred when the child fell from the Stena Spirit ferry, prompting his mother to plunge into the sea in a desperate rescue attempt. Both were later airlifted to a Swedish hospital but tragically succumbed to their injuries.
The Stena Spirit ferry, carrying 310 passengers, was en route from Karlskrona in Sweden to Gdynia in Poland when the tragic incident occurred. According to the Swedish Maritime Administration, the boy fell from a height of approximately 65ft. Passengers onboard watched in horror as a helicopter was deployed to locate and rescue the missing pair. Despite the efforts to save them, the mother spent 59 minutes in the water before being picked up by the helicopter, while her son endured 66 minutes. Polish police confirmed their deaths after resuscitation attempts proved unsuccessful.
The Polish authorities have been informed of the devastating news, and the investigation is ongoing to determine the cause of this heartbreaking incident. The Stena Line spokesperson, Agnieszka Zembrzycka, expressed the company’s cooperation with the police and other relevant authorities to establish the circumstances surrounding the event. Stefan Elfstrom, a spokesperson for Stena Line, emphasized that the crew promptly responded to the man overboard alarm, but unfortunately, only personal belongings belonging to the victims were found, not the individuals themselves.
At this stage, there is limited information regarding whether the victims had any relatives or acquaintances on the ferry. However, someone did notice their absence, prompting the alarm to be raised. Swedish police have reached out to Polish passengers via Poland’s state-run news agency, PAP, urging them to provide any information that could help shed light on the accident.