RIGA - Latvian authorities announced June 5 that they would not launch an investigation into the disappearance of a Latvian sailor aboard the Zhenia yacht that was stranded near the Danish coast one day earlier. Latvian Navy spokesperson Vita Lebedeva told the Baltic News Service that the search mission had been terminated and would not be resumed, as it was "impossible for anybody to survive such cold water for that long."
According to the Russian language daily Telegraf, the missing sailor was a Soviet-era champion yachtsman. Although officials have not yet released the man's identity, there have been widespread rumors that it is Janis Elnionis.
Sarma Kocane, a spokeswoman for Latvia's Marine Administration, told the Baltic News Service that the administration decided against investigating the incident because the Zhenia was only "a recreation vessel."
For similar reasons, the state police will not pursue the matter, spokeswoman Sintija Kajina said.
Although Latvia has dismissed an investigation, Lebedeva said the Danish coast guard and police were looking into the circumstances of the accident. So far, officials believe that bad weather caused the yacht to run aground.
On June 4, the Zhenia was discovered stranded near the Danish coast with one of its crewmembers missing. The Latvian Navy Marine Search and Rescue Coordination Center received a report from Denmark about the accident in the late afternoon.
Two Danish helicopters and seven rescue boats were dispatched to search for the missing sailor but failed to find him. The mission was terminated at 2 a.m. According to officials, rescuers searched a large area but only found a life buoy.
It was later established that two Latvian motor yachts, the Zhenia and Zenja, had been on their way to Norway when the Zhenia ran aground near the Danish coast. The missing crewmember was the only person aboard the stranded vessel.
The Zenja, which carried three people, is now anchored at the Port of Hornbaek. None of Zenja's crew members have suffered. Two of the three crewmembers are Latvian citizens.
