Fredrik Johansson was up with the rooster to start his dive at Nybrokajen in Stockholm and had just caught sight of an electric scooter when he suddenly felt a thud in his head.
The organization Hands 2 Ocean starts its work at six o’clock in the morning to stay away from the boats – but despite the precaution, the accident happened.
– Then it’s an electric scooter that falls straight down on me while I’m riding. It was the irony of fate. I believed in karma but not anymore, he says.
“It’s not wise”
Fredrik says that he managed without any major problems.
– It’s more that this feels bizarre. It is not wise.
After the bang, he unsuccessfully went to the surface to try to see who threw the scooter.
– It was just a matter of diving further and picking up some new ones, he says.
The organization has collected a total of over 363 tonnes – of which 41 tonnes are dumped electric scooters. According to Fredrik, the dumping is often associated with drunkenness.
– It is not those who have rented that throw them, but other drunk youths who kick them because they are standing by the water.
Catch of the day: Two tons of tires
He further says that fewer e-bikes ended up in the water after it became forbidden to park closer than five meters from the edge.
But even so, there is still work to be done. On Tuesday alone, Hands 2 Ocean’s find consists of 170 tires in Slagsta in Botkyrka municipality.
– That corresponds to two tonnes of tires that we just picked up, with microplastics and ph oils, says Fredrik Johansson.