Boat sinks in Helsinki after coast guard tow

A boat sank in Helsinki's Eira district on Saturday afternoon after the coast guard towed it to a pier. The Finnish Border Guard has opened a criminal investigation into boating under the influence related to the incident at sea.

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We had a normal task related to water traffic control, after which a vessel was towed to shore.

The vessel began to sink at the pier near Cafe Carusel after being towed from the sea. The Helsinki rescue department attempted to pump water from the boat for several hours, but it eventually submerged.

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The boat took on water at the shore; the cause is unclear.

"The boat took on water at the shore; the cause is unclear," said duty fire chief Kim Lassila of the Helsinki Rescue Department. He noted that the incident at sea was not a rescue operation, suggesting the damage likely occurred during towing or at the shore.

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The boat took on water at the shore; the cause is unclear.

The rescue department deployed containment booms around the boat due to an oil leak. Lassila described the vessel as an approximately 8-meter open boat, "not very new." The rescue department left the scene in the afternoon, leaving the boat to sink, with the owner responsible for its removal. Many people gathered to watch the situation unfold.

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The boat took on water at the shore; the cause is unclear.