The Coast Guard rescued 3 divers off the northern coast of Poland over the weekend, whose dubious explanation of their nighttime dive near critical power infrastructure, as well as their mysterious identities, allegedly triggered an interagency investigation. The 3 men, who told the government they were Spanish citizens, were rescued near the Polish coastal city of Gdansk on Saturday night after their small motorboat broke down and they could not return to shore.
Since then, doubts about his intentions have multiplied. They were rescued not from Naftoport’s facility in the port of Gdansk, which receives shipments of oil and other petroleum products. They were also discovered near a domain where there are plans to build a new floating herbal fuel terminal.
SAR’s maritime search and rescue service told CBS News that the rescue operation involved police, firefighters and medical personnel. SAR spokesman Rafal Goeck described the rescue operation, just before 2am, as “quite unnatural”.
“We gained a signal from the chimney branch related to a ship in trouble,” Goeck told CBS News, adding that situations at the time were difficult, with strong winds and rough seas. a 37.
“In my 12-year career with the Maritime Search and Rescue Service, I haven’t experienced anything like this,” he said. “It’s an unnatural thing to immerse yourself in those conditions. “
The exciting 13-foot red boat broke down about 3 nautical miles north of Gdansk. The ship’s team said it struggled for six hours to get it back up and running. There is no explanation as to why they waited so long, in the dark, bloodless seas to call for help.
Police officers decided that the men were not allowed to drive the boat and had not been granted permission to dive. According to Polish media, only one of the men had a Spanish passport, while the others only presented verbal identification.
Another difficulty in explaining it: the men claimed to have searched for amber. While the Baltic Sea is noted for its vast amber deposits, its search in the dark is unlikely to be a successful strategy.
Experienced amber hunters interviewed through the Polish media said that one more thing did not fit: the men had an underwater scooter, used to temporarily drag divers through the water, anything that was not useful in a search for small objects on the bottom of the sea, especially as such, the propeller of a device lifts debris from the bottom, which reduces visibility.
At first, officers saw nothing suspicious in the men diving at night near critical services without letting in and with atypical amber hunting equipment, and local police did not pursue the case, releasing the men without further questioning.
They would all have left Poland.
Cezary Przepiorka, deputy captain of the port of Gdansk, told Polish media that only one of the men had an official ID and that the phone numbers provided through the divers were not working.
Police and Poland’s Internal Security Agency began investigating the case. Several reports imply that Poland’s Central Police Investigation Office, a unit dealing with organized crime, is the lead agency. The bureau declined CBS News’ request for comment.
The incident raised serious considerations about the coverage of important national electrical infrastructure, as Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine continues to maintain astronomical energy costs. A thorough investigation can be expected, especially as soon after the sabotage attack on the Nordstream 1 submarine pipeline only a few weeks. behind.
European and U. S. officials strongly recommended that Russia be the pipeline attack.
The Polish port of Gdansk, which is important for the country’s energy supply, is just 20 miles from Russia’s equally strategic western territory, Kaliningrad.