Overview
- Passersby reported a submerged vehicle near the village of Saija, and police say the car linked to a roughly 50-year-old German woman was found empty on Monday, June 29.
- Police, rescue services and the Finnish Border Guard carried out coordinated land and water searches around Saija but ended large-scale active search operations after several days without finding the woman.
- Investigators say there are no current signs of a crime and are considering multiple scenarios including that the woman may still be in the water or that she left the vehicle and walked away.
- Authorities have asked the public for help and provided contact channels for tips by email, phone and WhatsApp as the investigation remains open.
- Saija lies in very remote Finnish Lapland about 40 km north of Salla’s centre, and its dense forests, wetlands and many waterways have complicated search and recovery efforts and raised concern for the missing woman’s safety.