Sweden rescues child who fell overboard from Baltic Sea ferry and mother who jumped in the water

Swedish maritime authorities said Thursday they have rescued a child who fell overboard from a passenger ferry in the Baltic Sea as well the child’s mother who jumped into the water in a desperate attempt to save the 7-year-old.

Mother and child were separately transported by helicopter to a hospital in Karlskrona in southern Sweden, Swedish Maritime Adminstration spokesman Jonas Franzen said. Their condition were not immediately clear.

The incident occurred on a passenger ferry heading from a port in northern Poland to Karlskrona.

“A child fell into the water and the mother decided to jump in after," Swedish Maritime Adminstration spokesman Jonas Franzen told the Associated Press. He said the child fell from a height of about 20 meters (65 feet).

Ships and helicopters from Sweden and from NATO units that were in the area assisted in the rescue operation.

Swedish news agency TT reported the child was 7-years-old. Polish TV station TVN reported both were Polish citizens.