Health problems, bad weather, third party influence excluded as case of border guard officers’ death
According to the West police prefecture’s investigators, health problems, bad weather, and an attack by a third party could all be excluded as the potential cause of death of the two border guard officers that died off the coast of Estonia on Jun. 28.
The investigators said at a press conference on Thursday that the investigations hadn’t been completed, as help from abroad was needed for a more complex analysis and Estonia didn’t have the expertise to look at the case in all its detail.
As far as they could tell, there was no damage to the boat and the equipment of the officers that would allow conclusions that they had collided with a larger object, such as a wooden beam, or a rock.
Bad weather was excluded as a reason for the accident, as the sea had been relatively calm, and the water hadn’t been cold.
The investigators confirmed that the officers had worn life jackets. Health reasons, such as a heart attack or a stroke, were excluded as well. Both officers had been sober, and the coroner’s examination hadn’t shown any signs of drug abuse.
The possibility of an attack on the patrol boat was investigated as well, but dismissed as baseless. According to colleagues of the officers, the two got along well, and there hadn’t been any conflicts between them.
Though the working assumption is that the officers drowned, this wasn’t confirmed as the definite cause of death, due to examinations still going on.
The speed and course of the patrol boat were reconstructed according to logs. The investigation showed that it had moved at even speed, then suddenly turned and headed back along its previous course, reached maximum speed, and then remained at the same position. One of the bodies was found in the vicinity of the turning point.
It isn’t clear yet why the speed of the boat increased. The officers’ shift was almost over, the reason for the turn could have been that they decided to turn around and head back.
The last time the boat was in contact with its home base was at around 5 p.m. on Jun. 28, which is why the police are looking for anyone who witnessed anything or has any information what happened after that time in the area where the boat was found.
Editor: Editor: Dario Cavegn