Swedish Police Investigate Cargo Ship After Motorboat Collision, Two Missing

Swedish police are investigating a potential collision between a cargo ship and a small motorboat that occurred Tuesday night in Hakefjorden. The cargo ship, which had sailed a considerable distance out into the Kattegat Sea, was ordered to turn back and has since been seized by authorities. Police technicians were examining the vessel's hull on Wednesday evening for any traces of impact from the collision.

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The vessel has been seized.

Authorities were alerted to the incident around 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Police boarded the cargo ship during the night, conducting initial interviews and sobriety checks on the crew, which reportedly yielded no irregularities. The investigation was launched after it became clear that a serious accident had occurred and that two of the four family members on board the recreational boat were missing.

While a preliminary investigation into gross negligence in maritime traffic is underway, no specific individual has been named as a suspect. Police are working to secure data from the ship's equipment and to find any physical evidence of a collision. The search for the sunken recreational boat and the missing individuals is ongoing.

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We are on site and continuing investigative work, a technical examination of the vessel is being carried out and that naturally includes the hull.

It remains unclear whether the seized cargo ship will remain in Hakefjorden or be moved to a port. Maritime regulations generally stipulate that recreational boats should yield to professional shipping, especially in narrow waterways. However, the interpretation of these rules can be complex.

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I have no information that anyone has been notified of suspicion of a crime. In any case, it is not something I can confirm.