Search for missing crew member called off
Thirteen of a crew of 14 on a Swedish cargo ship which sank in the Baltic Sea in stormy weather on Wednesday were rescued but the search for the missing crew member, a Swede, was unsuccessful, rescuers said.
In addition, a 52-year-old Filipino man rescued from the water did not make it through the night at Kalmar hospital. The man was in a very serious condition when he arrived sat the hospital.
None of the other men are reported to be in a critical condition.
The ship which transported containers had been in distress off Sweden's southeastern coast, with the crew sitting on the hull before it went down off the southeastern Swedish coast around 7:30 pm (1800 GMT).
According to Swedish news agency TT the crew consisted of four Swedes and 10 Filipinos. Thirteen people were rescued by helicopter and taken to a hospital for medical check-ups.
But the search for the final crew member was called to a halt at 6 a.m. this morning.
"We have conducted an active search for ten hours. After ten hours in the water we do not think there is any possibility that he could still be alive," Birgitta Rosander, who led the rescue efforts, told TT.
The crew wore survival suits and were in radio contact with nearby ships but were unable to launch life rafts.
The ship had been en route from Helsinki to Aarhus in Denmark.
High seas and heavy winds had made it impossible for rescuers to approach the vessel.
Winds of 72 kilometres (45 miles) per hour and waves of 4.5 metres (15 feet) were reported in the area.
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In addition, a 52-year-old Filipino man rescued from the water did not make it through the night at Kalmar hospital. The man was in a very serious condition when he arrived sat the hospital.
None of the other men are reported to be in a critical condition.
The ship which transported containers had been in distress off Sweden's southeastern coast, with the crew sitting on the hull before it went down off the southeastern Swedish coast around 7:30 pm (1800 GMT).
According to Swedish news agency TT the crew consisted of four Swedes and 10 Filipinos. Thirteen people were rescued by helicopter and taken to a hospital for medical check-ups.
But the search for the final crew member was called to a halt at 6 a.m. this morning.
"We have conducted an active search for ten hours. After ten hours in the water we do not think there is any possibility that he could still be alive," Birgitta Rosander, who led the rescue efforts, told TT.
The crew wore survival suits and were in radio contact with nearby ships but were unable to launch life rafts.
The ship had been en route from Helsinki to Aarhus in Denmark.
High seas and heavy winds had made it impossible for rescuers to approach the vessel.
Winds of 72 kilometres (45 miles) per hour and waves of 4.5 metres (15 feet) were reported in the area.
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