Both mum and boy, 7, die as she jumps off ferry to save him following fall

A seven-year-old child who fell overboard from a passenger ferry into the Baltic Sea, and his mother who jumped into the water after him, have both died, police say.

The child fell into the water and the mother leapt after him- but tragically neither survived the incident on Thursday, Swedish Maritime Administration spokesperson Jonas Franzen said.

He said the child fell from a height of about 20 metres (65 feet).

The mother and child, both of whom were Polish citizens, were transported separately by helicopter to a hospital in Karlskrona.

Polish police spokesperson Mariusz Ciarka told the TVN24 broadcaster it was impossible to save the pair's lives. Swedish police also confirmed that both had died.

Anders Olsson, who was on the rescue helicopter that pulled the woman from the sea, told Swedish radio on Friday that the mother was “not responsive” despite first aid being administered to her.

On Friday, Sweden’s Prosecution Authority said it had launched ”a preliminary investigation where the crime classification is murder, but there is no suspect in the case.”

“The investigation aims to try to clarify what happened,” Prosecutor Stina Brindmark said. No further details were available.

Ships and helicopters from Sweden and from NATO units that were in the area assisted in the rescue operation.

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