Murder probe launched as boy, 7, dies after falling from passenger ferry and mum killed jumping in to save him

A seven-year-old boy has died after falling overboard from a passenger ferry. His mother was also killed as she jumped overboard in a bid to save her son.

In the wake of the tragic deaths, which took place in the Baltic sea on Thursday (June 29), Swedish authorities have now confirmed a murder probe has been launched. Both had been travelling on a Stina Spirit Ferry, setting off from the Polish port of Gdynia heading to the Swedish port of Karlskrona.

Crew onboard the ship issued a mayday call, with the boat, which was carrying around 300 passengers, turning around back around and returning to the area where the pair fell. Both passengers are believed to be Polish.

NATO also sent ships and helicopters in a desperate attempt to rescue the mother and son, with Sweden also doing the same. They were both airlifted to hospital in Karlskrona before being pronounced dead a short while later.

Police spokesperson Mariusz Ciarka told local media it was impossible to save the lives of the two. He said: "Unfortunately, in the morning we received information from the Swedish side that we have to pass on this terrible news to the family, because both the boy and the woman are dead."

Prosecutor Stina Brindmark said investigators were looking into the suspected murder, but would not comment on whether it involved the boy’s mother or a third party.

"The two people who fell from a ferry travelling to Karlskrona yesterday have died," the prosecutor said. “The investigation aims to try to clarify what happened."