Just two hours after Grauten left the harbour, the commander announced over the radio that the ship had taken on a heavy list about five miles east of Skötgrönnan. Pilots at Gåsören advised the commander to enter Bjuröklubb’s harbour. However, the pilots at Bjuröklubb thought that the ship should head north towards Gåsören to return to Skelleftehamn.

Gåsören’s pilot cutter left safety behind and headed for the latest position indicated by Grauten. Grauten then lost contact with Härnösands Radio but instead managed to maintain contact with the shore through Luleå Radio. The pilot cutter never made contact with the ship. Grauten vanished from the radar screen at Gåsören, and in the same moment radio communication with the ship was cut off. One thing was clear: something serious had happened. A helicopter was deployed to search for the ship.

The helicopter found a life raft at Skötgrynnan with three of the eight crewmen dead on board. Nearby, five empty life jackets were found, perhaps indicating that all eight men from Grauten were on board the raft but for various reasons were swept overboard.

On 22 December, the father of one of the missing crewmen borrowed a boat and went out to Skötgrönnan where he found three more dead, including his son. In early spring, a seventh corpse was discovered. The only person who was not found was Grauten’s commander.

At the naval hearings held in Skellefteå, the most likely explanation offered for the sinking was that the harsh weather caused the cargo to shift, tearing a hole in the hull.

During the spring and summer of the following year, the majority of Grauten’s cargo was salvaged. The salvage operations, severe weather and pack ice have partly destroyed the shipwreck, which lies at a depth of a mere 12-13 metres.