In the early morning hours of June 1, the 25-meter tugboat Ron Jeremy (MMSI: 265587130) sank in the Bothnian Bay, south of the Rödskallen lighthouse near Piteå, Sweden.
The vessel was towing a barge loaded with timber when it began taking on water uncontrollably. The four crew members on board were unable to stop the flooding and were forced to abandon the tug. Three of them managed to reach the barge and alert authorities. A rescue boat from the Swedish Sea Rescue Society (SRS) arrived on the scene and rescued the three crew members, who were later hospitalized with hypothermia and minor injuries.
One crew member remains missing. Authorities launched a large-scale search and rescue operation involving several SRS vessels, two pilot boats, and aircraft from both the Swedish and Finnish coast guards. After several hours of searching, the missing sailor had not been found.
A small oil sheen was observed above the wreck site. The tug is believed to have sunk at a depth of around 40 meters. Divers have been deployed to seal the ventilation outlets and help prevent further fuel leakage. Approximately 5,000 liters of diesel fuel remain on board. While the exact amount of spilled fuel has not been disclosed, officials stated there is no immediate environmental threat to nearby shorelines.
The incident is currently under investigation by Swedish police.
