Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

The turret of UC3 Nautilus is seen by the side of a salvage vessel during the operation. Jacob Ehrbahn/AP

Danish police search homemade submarine but don't find body of missing journalist

The journalist had been aboard the submarine before it sank.

DANISH POLICE HUNTING for a missing journalist said they searched a huge homemade submarine that sank last week, but no body was found.

“The sub has been searched and there is nobody on board — neither dead nor alive,” Copenhagen police homicide chief Jens Moller told reporters.

The journalist had been aboard the submarine before it sank. The vessel’s 46-year-old inventor Peter Madsen has been accused of negligent manslaughter and was remanded in custody for 24 days.

He has denied the allegations.

The vessel, the Nautilus, was refloated and towed to the Copenhagen port yesterday, then emptied of water overnight. Today police entered the sub and found it empty.

Police have identified the missing journalist as Kim Wall, a 30-year-old Swedish woman who was writing a feature about Madsen.

Nothing has been heard from her since Thursday evening when she boarded the sub with Madsen.

Her boyfriend alerted police early on Friday that she had not returned home as planned.

Madsen claims he dropped her off on the Refshaleoen island on Thursday evening after the interview.

Early on Friday, Danish authorities announced they were looking for the Nautilus in waters off Copenhagen.

Around midday on Friday, the vessel was located in a bay in Koge, some 50 kilometres south of the Danish capital. Just after being located, Madsen was rescued and the submarine suddenly sank.

Madsen said in media interviews after his rescue that the sub encountered a problem with the ballast tank.

However, Moller said it appeared as though the sub was intentionally sunk, amid media speculation that Madsen may have downed the vessel to cover up a crime.

“It appears as though it was a deliberate action that caused the sub to sink,” Moller said.

Wall is a freelance journalist based in China and the US. Her articles have appeared in the New York Times and the Guardian, among others.

“We’re still hoping that we’ll find Kim Wall alive, but we are preparing ourselves for the fact that she may not be,” Moller said.

Madsen made headlines when he launched the 18-metre Nautilus in 2008, at the time the world’s biggest homemade submarine.

© – AFP 2017

Read: Donald Trump’s childhood home is up on Airbnb for €636-a-night

Author
View 13 comments
Close
13 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Mark O'Flaherty
    Favourite Mark O'Flaherty
    Report
    Jun 25th 2012, 4:32 PM

    Emer I”m currently staying with my uncle in Fort Collins, less then three miles from the fire here. He lives just east of Horsetooth damn, the fire is literally just west of there. Since I arrived last Friday, its been 39degrees and there is no moisture around. The fire can be seen for miles, even on the plane into Denver the trail of smoke could be seen for well over an hour in our descent. Again a reminder that despite our troubles at home, we’ve such a benign country in terms of natural disasters etc.

    The air quality is quite poor depending on the wind, but my heart goes out to those displaced. The part of the country is so Idyllic, wonderful communities around. Its such a shame to see the destruction due to the fire. Spare a thought for the firefighters and volunteers battling the fire, I can barely step out in the heat I can’t imagine how they are fighting it with all their gear etc. I have some photos which I’ll submit.

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute hjGfIgAq
    Favourite hjGfIgAq
    Report
    Jun 25th 2012, 4:40 PM

    Hi Mark, thanks for sharing that. If you could send your pictures to tips@thejournal.ie that would be great.

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Mark O'Flaherty
    Favourite Mark O'Flaherty
    Report
    Jun 25th 2012, 5:17 PM

    Will do Emer – thanks.

    2
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds