A seven-year-old Polish boy and his mother tragically lost their lives after falling from a ferry traveling from Sweden to Poland. Swedish authorities have launched a homicide investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident, although no suspects have been identified. The heartbreaking event unfolded when the child fell from the Stena Spirit ferry, prompting his mother to plunge into the sea in a desperate attempt to save him.
Passengers onboard watched in horror as a helicopter was deployed to rescue the pair, but despite their efforts, both the mother and son later succumbed to their injuries.
The boy fell from a height of approximately 65ft, according to the Swedish Maritime Administration. The ferry, named Stena Spirit, was carrying 310 passengers and was on its way from Karlskrona in Sweden to Gdynia in Poland when the tragedy occurred. The mother spent 59 minutes in the water before being rescued, while her son endured 66 minutes before being lifted out. Unfortunately, resuscitation attempts were unsuccessful, and Polish police confirmed their deaths.
Stena Line, the company operating the ferry, expressed deep sorrow over the incident and pledged full cooperation with the ongoing investigation. It remains unclear whether the incident resulted from a malfunction of the ferry. The crew promptly responded to the man overboard alarm, but only personal belongings belonging to the victims were found, not the individuals themselves. Swedish police have reached out to Polish passengers for any information that could shed light on the accident.