A German sailor is suspected of murder in Sweden. He is said to have killed his sailing partner in an argument on the high seas. The investigation is ongoing.
Gothenburg – A German sailor is suspected of having killed his sailing partner on the high seas off Sweden. The man has been in custody in Gothenburg since August 4. The Swedish authorities consider the 64-year-old Berliner to be a flight risk. His 71-year-old acquaintance was recovered from the sea on August 1 and later declared dead.
Death on the high seas: German sailor suspected of murder in Sweden
According to the public prosecutor’s office, the two Germans were on their way back from a regatta in Norway in their sailing boat. Passers-by on a passing boat discovered the victim in the water and alerted the rescue services. The 71-year-old was rescued and doctors at the hospital confirmed his death. The mysterious incident occurred in the Kattegat, about 25 kilometers from the islands of the Gothenburg archipelago off the Swedish municipality of Öckerö. The German sailors were traveling in a trimaran.
The Swedish public prosecutor’s office expressed suspicion on Tuesday (6 August) that the 71-year-old German may have drowned. “We are now conducting additional interviews and technical examinations and are waiting for the autopsy report,” explained investigating prosecutor Maria Thorell. The investigations are being carried out in cooperation with the German authorities. Further details on the cause of death have not yet been announced.
Suspected murder on the open sea: Berlin sailor arrested in Sweden
A spokeswoman for the district court in Gothenburg told the news agency dpa that the 64-year-old suspect from Berlin had been taken into custody. There was a risk that he could flee, destroy evidence or otherwise hinder the investigation.
“The men became enemies on the ship. The whole thing led to the death of the victim,” the Bild newspaper Public prosecutor Thorell. The 71-year-old fell into the water with serious injuries. The victim was apparently a lawyer from Berlin, as the tabloid newspaper determined.
In another case, a sailing couple has been missing in the Caribbean since February 2024. Their yacht was found abandoned at sea and there is no trace of them.
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