The Swedish Coast Guard has launched an investigation into “gross sea drunkenness” and gross negligence after a British-flagged cargo ship reportedly changed course and collided with a smaller Danish dredger.
Coast Guard prosecutor Jonatan Tholin said a preliminary investigation had been opened into the collision between the Scot Carrier and the Karin Hoej, which capsized.
Two crew members from the 55-metre Danish ship were washed overboard during the collision with the 90-metre long Scot Carrier. One body has since been recovered.
The British vessel was en route from the Latvian port of Salagriva to Montrose in Scotland with a cargo of wood when it hit the Danish ship, which was on its way from Södertälje, Sweden to Nykøbing Falster in Denmark.
Information from the on-board Automatic Identification System (AIS) satellite trackers shared on social media seemed to suggest the Scot Carrier suddenly turned to starboard and veered across the Karin Hoej before the collision.
The Karin Hoej is set to be towed into the Swedish port of Ystad as planes, helicopters and ships continue to search for the missing crewmen.
The Swedish Maritime Administration have said the exact cause of the collision is still not known and they pointed out there was fog in the area at the time and visibility was poor.
The Swedish Maritime Administration have said the exact cause of the collision is still not known and they pointed out there was fog in the area at the time and visibility was poor.
The collision took place in the early hours of Monday between Ystad and the Danish island of Bornholm.
Sweden’s TV4 reported an oil spill but the Swedish Coast Guard said there was little pollution and it was taking measures “to prevent oil or other harmful substances from being released into the sea.”
The shipping channel between Ystad and Bornholm is a busy sea lane with vessels travelling from eastern Sweden, Finland, Russia, Poland, Germany and the Baltic states to Denmark, Norway, Britain and beyond.
There has been no comment yet from the owners of the Scot Carrier, Scotline.
The Scot Carrier was built in 2018 and spends most of its time bringing soft wood from Baltic ports to Britain.