In a heartbreaking turn of events, a mother and her seven-year-old son have lost their lives after plunging off a ferry during a journey from Sweden to Poland. The incident occurred on Thursday when the young boy fell off the vessel into the frigid Baltic Sea. In a desperate attempt to save her child, the Polish national mother dived overboard to rescue him. Reports suggest that the boy fell from a height of approximately 20 meters (65 feet), according to Jonas Franzen, a spokesperson for the Swedish Maritime Administration.
The rescue operation, which involved NATO ships, was swiftly initiated, and both individuals were airlifted by a helicopter. They were transported separately to a hospital in Sweden, but despite efforts to save them, they could not be revived, authorities confirmed.
Following this tragic incident, Swedish prosecutors have launched a preliminary murder investigation. However, the suspect responsible for the deaths has yet to be identified. Prosecutor Stina Brindmark stated that the purpose of the investigation is to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Polish police have officially confirmed the deaths of the mother and son, although their identities have not been disclosed. Mariusz Ciarka, a police spokesperson, expressed the devastating news, saying, “Unfortunately, in the morning we received information from the Swedish side that we have to pass on this terrible news to the family because both the boy and the woman are dead.”
The Stena Spirit ferry, which departed from Karlskrona in southern Sweden, was en route to Gdynia on the Polish coast when the tragedy unfolded. Rescue officials reported that the incident occurred midway through the journey, with Karlskrona being approximately 500 kilometres (310 miles) from Stockholm, and Gdynia about 450 kilometres (279 miles) north of Warsaw.
Authorities are also investigating the possibility of a ferry malfunction as a contributing factor in the incident. Stena Line spokesperson Agnieszka Zembrzycka stated that they are cooperating with the police and other relevant authorities to determine the causes and circumstances surrounding this tragic event. Swedish police have issued an appeal to Polish passengers through Poland’s state-run news agency, PAP, urging them to come forward with any information that may help explain the incident’s details. The investigation aims to shed light on the series of events that led to this devastating loss.
