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Amateur submarine inventor arrested on suspicion of murder Amateur submariner arrested over Swedish journalist's disappearance
(about 20 hours later)
An amateur submarine maker whose vessel sank off the Danish coast has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a Swedish journalist who joined him for the voyage was reported missing. A judge will decide whether an amateur submarine maker should be held in custody over the disappearance of a Swedish woman who had been onboard his vessel before it sank off Denmark’s east coast.
Peter Madsen, 46, denies killing the missing woman, claiming he dropped her off on an island about three and a half hours into their trip on Thursday night, according to Copenhagen police. Peter Madsen, a Danish inventor whose crowdfunded submarine sank near Copenhagen on Friday, was arrested on preliminary manslaughter charges but has denied responsibility for the fate of 30-year-old Kim Wall.
The only people on board were Madsen and the journalist, whose partner alerted authorities to her absence on Thursday evening. “The owner of the submarine was arrested and is accused of having killed the Swedish woman without intent,” they said in a statement. “He denies the allegations and explains that he left the woman on the end of the Refshaleøen island.” He claims she disembarked on an island about three and a half hours into their trip on Thursday night, according to Copenhagen police.
Madsen, from Denmark, made headlines when he successfully financed the building of the submarine through crowdfunding, completing the UC3 Nautilus in 2008. Madsen appeared on Danish television on Friday to discuss the submarine’s sinking and his rescue. “The owner of the submarine was arrested and is accused of having killed the Swedish woman without intent,” they said in a statement. “He denies the allegations and explains that he left the woman on the end of the Refshaleøen island.”
Footage aired on Denmark’s TV2 channel showed him getting off what appeared to be a private boat and making a thumbs-up sign as he walked away. “I am fine, but sad because Nautilus went down,” he told TV2. Wall, a freelance journalist, had been writing about Madsen and his submarine at the time of disappearing, according to Swedish and Danish reports.
Madsen said “a minor problem with a ballast tank ... turned into a major issue” that ultimately caused the sinking of the vessel, which was considered to be the largest privately built submarine of its kind. The ballast tank is a compartment that holds water to provide stability for a vessel. “It is with great dismay that we received the news that Kim went missing during an assignment in Denmark,” her family said.
She lives between New York and Beijing, the family said, and has written for titles including the Guardian, New York Times, South China Morning Post and Vice. Her LinkedIn page says she writes about “identity, gender, pop-culture, social justice, foreign policy and the undercurrents of rebellion”.
Madsen made headlines when he successfully financed the building of the submarine through crowdfunding, completing it in 2008.
He appeared on Danish television on Friday to discuss the submarine’s sinking and his rescue. Footage aired on Denmark’s TV2 channel showed him getting off what appeared to be a private boat and making a thumbs-up sign as he walked away. “I am fine, but sad because Nautilus went down,” he told TV2.
Madsen said “a minor problem with a ballast tank … turned into a major issue” that ultimately caused the sinking of the vessel, which was considered to be the largest privately built submarine of its kind. The ballast tank is a compartment that holds water to provide stability for a vessel.
“It took about 30 seconds for Nautilus to sink, and I couldn’t close any hatches or anything,” Madsen said. “But I guess that was pretty good because I otherwise still would have been down there.”“It took about 30 seconds for Nautilus to sink, and I couldn’t close any hatches or anything,” Madsen said. “But I guess that was pretty good because I otherwise still would have been down there.”
However, Swedish police said later in the day they were investigating the whereabouts of a missing woman who had been on the submarine at some point. Swedish police said later in the day that they were investigating the whereabouts of Wall, who they said had been on the submarine at some point. “Whether the woman was on board the submarine at the time of her disappearance is unclear,” police said.
“Whether the woman was on board the submarine at the time of her disappearance is unclear,” police said in a statement. A navy spokesman, Anders Damgaard, said: “He told us that the journalist who also had been on board had been dropped off on Thursday evening. They were the only two on board yesterday.”
The woman was a journalist writing about Madsen and his submarine, Swedish and Danish media reported. Authorities were alerted to issues with the voyage when Wall’s boyfriend reported her missing early on Friday. Two helicopters and three ships searched the sea from Copenhagen to the Baltic Sea island of Bornholm.
“He told us that the journalist who also had been on board had been dropped off on Thursday evening,” navy spokesman Anders Damgaard told Associated Press. “They were the only two on board yesterday.” The navy initially said the craft was “found sailing” south of Copenhagen. But Damgaard later said the 40 tonne submarine had sunk.
The woman’s boyfriend alerted authorities that the submarine was missing early on Friday. Two helicopters and three ships searched the sea from Copenhagen to the Baltic Sea island of Bornholm. Kristian Isbak, who had responded to the navy’s call to help locate the ship, sailed out immediately Friday and saw Madsen standing wearing his trademark military fatigues in the submarine’s tower while it was still afloat.
The navy initially said the craft was “found sailing” south of Copenhagen. But Damgaard later said the 40 tonne submarine, which is nearly 18 metres long, had sunk. “He then climbed down inside the submarine and there was then some kind of air flow coming up and the submarine started to sink,” Isbak said. “[He] came up again and stayed in the tower until water came into it” before swimming to a nearby boat as the submarine sank, he added.
Madsen “told us he had technical problems” to explain why the submarine failed to respond to radio contact, Damgaard said.Madsen “told us he had technical problems” to explain why the submarine failed to respond to radio contact, Damgaard said.
The 18-metre Nautilus, one of three subs built by Madsen, is sitting under seven metres (24ft) of water close to Copenhagen’s south island of Dragør.
With divers unable to enter it safely, a salvage ship, the Vina, is attempting to raise the vessel.