Two Lithuanians fell overboard from a ferry going to Lithuania from Sweden on Tuesday night, Vaidas Klumbys, DFDS Seaways' spokesman for the Baltic states, told BNS on Wednesday.
"DFDS Seaways's ferry Optima Seaways left the port of Karlshamn at 20:00 Lithuanian time," he said.
Information about two people falling overboard was received at around 22:50, and a rescue operation followed. The ship turned around and returned to the place the two people fell.
All services were informed, including the Swedish maritime rescue coordination center. The accident took place near Swedish shores, and the rescue operation took about 5 hours.
The company representative said the two Lithuanian were middle-aged people travelling together.
The rescue operation was called off at 03:00, as there were no more chances of finding the two people alive, according to the Swedish rescue center coordinator, Christel Englund.
The ferry arrived in Klaipeda at 13:00, after a delay of four hours.
Jurate Albrektienė, spokeswoman for Klaipėda Region police, told BNS the police is looking into the circumstances of the incident.
"Officers are now onboard the ferry, which returned to Klaipeda," she said.
