Helsinki search for swimmer ends without a confirmed sighting

Yle reported that a search for a possible swimmer in the sea off Lauttasaari, Helsinki, ended on Saturday afternoon after rescuers found no further evidence of the person.

The Helsinki Rescue Department said the situation is common during the hottest part of summer: a bystander sees someone swimming, looks away briefly and then can no longer see the swimmer.

The rescue department handles about one such call a day in the Helsinki area during the hottest summer periods.

When someone is reported missing at sea, the sea rescue service leads the operation, supported by the police and rescue department and sometimes the Border Guard. The operation in Lauttasaari involved a search boat, rescuers working from the shore and a Border Guard helicopter.

In similar cases, rescuers usually search for about an hour. If nobody is found and the original sighting is uncertain, the search is ended. No person was found in Lauttasaari.

Yle has reported in several summers on emergency calls triggered by piles of clothes found on beaches. The Fire Safety Week campaign has published a way to use a parking disc to indicate that someone has gone swimming.