For several hours, a tense situation has been unfolding on a ferry in Świnoujście, Poland, as police negotiators work to resolve a standoff involving a young man who refuses to leave the vessel. The incident began Saturday evening, and hundreds of passengers waiting for a ferry to Sweden remain stranded at the terminal.
The man, a Polish citizen, arrived in Świnoujście on a ferry from Trelleborg, Sweden, but has since barricaded himself in one of the ferry’s lifeboats on the upper deck. According to Mirosława Rudzińska, spokesperson for the Szczecin regional police, negotiators are working to convince the man to disembark and allow himself to receive assistance.
The ferry service to Sweden, scheduled to depart at 1:00 AM, has been suspended, causing delays and disruptions for other passengers. However, authorities are trying to minimize the impact on other ferry services. Despite some difficulties, ferries from three different operators are still managing to depart.
Weronika Gocłowska, a spokesperson for the Szczecin-Świnoujście Seaports Authority, assured that operations at the terminal continue with some disruptions but emphasized efforts to maintain normal services.