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The Swedish and Estonian Accident Investigation Boards have reviewed the new Estonian films.
Now the authorities will decide whether to make new dives on the ship.
Aftonbladet is the only newspaper that has seen all the basic material: three hours of underwater film.
The revelation of a previously unknown hole in the Estonian hull has had a huge impact.
This week, representatives from the Swedish and Estonian Accident Investigation Boards met in Stockholm. They were able to see Norwegian producer Henrik Evertsson’s film Monsters and shipwreck expert Linus Andersson’s diving expedition. The Finnish Commission should have been present as well, but had to cancel due to new crown restrictions.
Aftonbladet is the only newspaper that has seen the same material. That’s a total of three hours of film of five dives in the Estonian wreck.
Photo: DPLAY
The damage is a third aft on the starboard side of Estonia and extends both above and below the waterline. Here illustrated in a graphic.
Director Henrik Evertsson introduces Aftonbladet reporter Olof Svensson raw material. Filmmaker and shipwreck expert Linus Andersson is on the link.
The dives were carried out for three days, already in the first the team finds the unknown hole. An ROV camera is lowered at the front of the vessel and moved rearward on the starboard side. After 20 minutes, the hole appears, which is estimated to be at least 4 meters high and 1.2 meters at the widest point. Estonia has been turned over and is upside down, which means that it is not possible to see how far the hole extends under the ship.
Additional holes in the helmet
The visibility of the films is somewhat poor. Jellyfish and microorganisms swirl around, and camera motors churn up the sediment at the bottom. Also, there is a broad band of microbes that cast a white glow throughout the image. But when the camera is above or below the tape, the view is sometimes very clear, as was the case when the unknown hole was discovered.
On the second day new dives are made and then another hole is found in the hull, approximately 30 meters aft of the first.
Photo: FILE IMAGE
Estonia sank in 1994.
Photo: DISCOVERY NETWORKS NORWAY / DPLAY
Henrik Evertsson.
The finding was never shown in the Dplay documentary, leading to criticism and suspicions that the team is hiding relevant facts.
– We expected to find minor damage and cracks on the ship. We do not consider this hole interesting enough. It has a completely different character from the main hole, says Henrik Evertsson.
It can’t be explained
The second well is significantly smaller than the first and Evertsson believes it can be explained as a stress load that arose when the ship hit bottom during sinking.
– The main hole is pressed and bent. “I’ve documented a lot of damage to the wrecks, but I can’t explain this, more than that indicates that something powerful has run into the ship,” says Linus Andersson.
Photo: DPLAY
After the sinking, the Estonian wreckage was examined by divers from the Rockwater company, on behalf of the Swedish Maritime Administration.
During the fourth dive, the other side of the boat is examined. This part is well documented previously, and therefore the team was not expecting new findings. The footage from the dive shows, among other things, two holes that were opened by divers two months after the sinking and are still open today, despite divers claiming the holes were closed.
Rocky and rocky formations
When the camera approaches the bottom, a detailed image of the surface appears. A large part consists of something that resembles light rocks or rock formations. Estonian experts have taken note of this and say it indicates that the unknown hole may have emerged when Estonia hit hard bottom.
However, Linus Andersson is convinced that the bottom consists of soft clay embankments. The formations follow the outline of the ship, which a rock or a rock would not do. In support of his theory, he presents three other remains documents that he has worked with. The wreck is in the Baltic Sea and is surrounded by similar dikes.
– What Estonian experts call mountains, I call Baltic clay, he says.
The films show a large accumulation of stones that were thrown off Estonia in 1996, after the Swedish government decided to cover the ship. There is also sand on the side of the ship pointing upwards, something they suspect comes from the spill. The sand makes it sometimes impossible to distinguish the hull of the ship.
There are no other unknown holes in the material Aftonbladet has read.
we have nothing to hide
Henrik Evertsson and Linus Andersson emphasize that they have not carried out a comprehensive survey of Estonia. This would require more advanced equipment and would take more time. But the finding of the hole warrants a more detailed investigation, they believe.
– We are aware that it is deficient material. We concentrated on examining the parts of the hull where it had previously been speculated if there might be a hole. You can view it as a feasibility study, says Henrik Evertsson.
Why do you want to show all the Aftonbladet stuff?
– We believe that it is good for a newspaper to see the same material as the Accident Investigation Board. We want to be transparent and we want to show that we are not hiding anything.
Why don’t you post it online?
– The person watching needs someone to explain what they see, what part of the ship is being filmed, etc. If we had arranged everything, the pieces could have been cut and used in a way over which we have no control.
Aftonbladet has contacted the Accident Investigation Board for comment.
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