Search Called Off for Man Overboard
A search and rescue operation for a man who fell off a cruise ship off the coast of Hanko was called off Sunday morning. The man is now presumed drowned. Authorities said they did everything they could to find him, but to no avail.
The man fell off the Tallink Victoria which was en route from Tallinn to Stockholm via Mariehamn. The man went overboard before ten p.m. on Saturday night.
Nearby cargo vessels and three cruise ships joined Coast Guard helicopters and boats in the search for the man.
"This area has been very carefully combed, but without result," says Coast Guard officer Keijo Parhiala. "When it's a question of a human life, we put everything into it. We use whatever units are available."
After hours of searching, the civilian vessels returned to their routes while the Coast Guard continued until four a.m. Generally, hypothermia sets in between half an hour to an hour if the water is six or seven degrees Celsius.
"In the autumn there is a high risk of freezing very quickly. We are rarely able to save anyone in these times," says Parhiala.
The Coast Guard has released no information on the identity or the citizenship of the man lost at sea.
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