Search Concludes Without Recovery After Passenger Overboard Incident in Baltic Sea – 28 December 2025

On 28 December 2025, a passenger went overboard from the Polish ropax ferry MV Skania, operated by Unity Line, during a scheduled crossing between Ystad, Sweden and Świnoujście, Poland. The man-overboard alert was issued near Sassnitz, off Germany's Rügen Island, at approximately 4:00 p.m. local time. An international maritime search operation involving assets from Poland, Germany, Denmark, and Sweden was formally concluded at 6:21 p.m. without recovery.

The missing passenger was identified as a Polish national. The circumstances of the overboard remain unclear and are under investigation by maritime authorities in the involved jurisdictions. The ferry resumed its voyage following the search and arrived in Świnoujście without the missing passenger.

A witness reported seeing a passenger enter the water, triggering the man-overboard alert at approximately 4:00 p.m. local time. Search and rescue efforts began immediately, with Poland's Maritime Search and Rescue Service dispatching a helicopter from Darłowo. A sister Unity Line vessel, Polonia, operating nearby, joined the coordinated search efforts. However, unfavourable sea conditions with deteriorating weather and reduced visibility significantly hampered search effectiveness. Authorities formally concluded the operation at 6:21 p.m. after several hours without locating the missing passenger.

Passengers

• Approximately 1,400 onboard at the time of the incident.

Crew

• Number not specified in available reports.

Fatalities

• 1 passenger missing (Polish national; circumstances under investigation).

Injuries

• None reported.

Rescued

• No recovery achieved; search operation concluded without locating the missing passenger.

An international coordinated response was activated immediately following the man-overboard alert. Maritime and air search assets from Poland, Germany, Denmark, and Sweden participated in the operation. Poland's Maritime Search and Rescue Service dispatched a helicopter from Darłowo, and the sister vessel Polonia assisted in the search. The operation was formally concluded at 6:21 p.m. local time after several hours of unsuccessful search efforts in deteriorating weather conditions.

The circumstances of the passenger going overboard remain unclear and are under review by maritime and investigative authorities in Poland, Germany, Denmark, and Sweden. The investigation will examine the incident and the factors that led to the overboard.

Following the conclusion of the search operation, MV Skania resumed its voyage and arrived in Świnoujście without the missing passenger. The incident remains under investigation by the relevant maritime authorities in the involved jurisdictions.