A passenger died Monday evening on Tallink's M/S Megastar ferry. The vessel was sailing between Helsinki and Tallinn when the incident occurred.
Finnish border guard officials confirmed the death. A rescue helicopter was dispatched to the ship around 5:30 PM.
The passenger died from a sudden illness according to the ferry operator. Medical emergency services met the ship when it docked in Helsinki's West Harbour at 6:30 PM.
Authorities have transferred the case to police for investigation. The ferry company stated the medical incident did not affect the ship's schedule.
The vessel departed Helsinki for Tallinn as planned at 7:00 PM. Tallink operates frequent ferry services across the Gulf of Finland connecting the Finnish and Estonian capitals.
While ferry travel is generally safe, medical emergencies at sea present unique challenges for response teams. The quick coordination between ship crew and emergency services highlights the importance of established safety protocols on Baltic Sea routes.