A third teenager who went missing during a tragic drowning incident in Kalajoki on Friday has been found dead, Finnish police confirmed late Saturday night.
The boy, born in 2008, was located around 11pm with the help of sonar imaging, which revealed a possible sighting of a body underwater. A diver dispatched to the area confirmed the discovery.
Authorities said the body was found close to where the other two teenagers — both born in 2009 — were recovered on Friday, but at a greater depth of around three metres.
The search effort involved a fishing vessel crew and divers from the Voluntary Rescue Service (Vapepa). Police extended their thanks to the volunteers for their help in the operation.
According to investigators, the three boys had been swimming and playing with a ball in the water when they suddenly began calling for help and disappeared beneath the surface. Bystanders onshore tried to assist but were unable to reach the teens in time, as they had drifted approximately 100 metres from the beach.
Yle News reporter Matthew Schilke spoke to the Finnish Swimming Teaching and Lifesaving Federation (FSL) on staying safe while cooling off in the summer.
Jan Sormunen, the officer leading the investigation, said the search was challenging due to the uncertainty around the exact location of the disappearances. The search zone spanned several dozen metres and was later expanded until the third boy was found.
All three teens were residents of Finland with foreign backgrounds, police said. The incident is being investigated as a cause of death inquiry.
"It's still unclear what exactly led to the drownings," Sormunen said.
"It could have been waves, exhaustion, lack of swimming ability, sudden depth, soft bottom, muscle cramps — at this stage, we can't say for sure."
"Sadly, this is the worst possible outcome," he added.
