Kent Härstedt after Estonia reveal: something that is not true



[ad_1]

Estonian survivor remembers night of terror at Baltic Sea

From: Anna and Hans Shimoda

Published:

Kent Härstedt was one of 137 people who survived the Estonian disaster, in which 852 people died.

He now awaits a new accident investigation after the revelation that there is a large hole in the hull.

– Something is wrong.

It was 12:24 PM on September 28, 1994 when M / S Estonia sent out a first emergency call. At 01:30 the entire starboard side of the ship was under water and at 01:50 it disappeared from the radar screens of nearby ships, and the largest civil wreck in the Baltic Sea was a fact.

The Accident Investigation Board then determined that the cause of the sinking was that the bow visor came loose, a controversial explanation that far from everyone buys, but which became a truth on paper.

Of the 989 people on board, 852 were injured, of which 501 were Swedish.

One of the 137 survivors was former politician and social democrat Kent Härstedt, 55, who is today a traveling ambassador with the main task of working for peace and dialogue on the Korean peninsula.

Kent Härstedt survived the Estonian disaster.  After the revelation of a previously unknown hole in the ship, await a new investigation of the accident.

Photo: LOTTE FERNVALL

Kent Härstedt survived the Estonian disaster. After the revelation of a previously unknown hole in the ship, await a new investigation of the accident.

Interest in the political arena was not put to shame after the fateful night of the accident, but Härstedt got involved much earlier. Already at 17 he became a member of the Social Democrats.

– I didn’t know much about politics then but I got involved with the young people of Helsingborg. I hit the table because I reacted to the closure of meeting places for young people. Then they told me that I have to get involved politically if there is something I want to change. That’s the way it is. My engagement could have taken a different path, but now it has turned into politics. I am a passionate person and very happy to have been politically active. Winning people’s trust to move things forward and push things forward is the best job you can get. It is a period of life that I have left behind, but I never wanted to undo it. My current assignment means that I can be the representative of all the Swedish people. I really love my job and it is something that I have been dreaming of for a long time. I get to work at the highest national level with mediation and conflict management, which takes me to the most important capitals of the world.

How has the fact that you survived the disaster in Estonia affected your life?

– From Estonia, I have fought a lot not to reduce myself to being just a survivor. From the first moment I knew that Estonia would be something that would follow me through life. I have also tried to overcompensate because I don’t want people to think that I make a profit from it. I was a human being both before and after Estonia, although of course life experiences are part of the personality.

Photo: FILE IMAGE

Estonia M / S.

You and Sara Hedrenius became a symbol of the Estonian survivors. They met on deck when she was about to sink and decided to help each other. Did you say angels were on your side?

– Then it was. He was in good shape, he had exercised a lot, and he had also worked in health care and had seen people die. I also did not have alcohol in my body as I felt easily dizzy. I had also had unpleasant experiences before that allowed me to handle the situation in a better way. But beyond that, one must have some luck or skill, or the help of someone with greater power. It is presumptuous to think that if you do certain things well, you will succeed, in reality it is not like that. It should also be in the right place in a context with people who can help each other. That is why I say that the angels were with us.

The photograph taken from a rescue helicopter shows a lifeboat with survivors, including Sara Hedrenius and Kent Härstedt.

Photo: THE COAST GUARD

Kent Härstedt in the rescue helicopter.

Do you think you would have survived without Sara?

– No, I probably wouldn’t have. In fact, I don’t think so. During the night, as we sat on the raft upside down, the people next to us froze to death, and in the end we had many deaths around us. So it was just a matter of choosing whether the cold would gradually eat one up and one would leave like many others. I saw a roofed fleet farther away and thought I would use my last strength to try to get there. I’d rather die fighting than wait for death. But Sara convinced me to stay and it was probably one of several moments where there was a difference between life and death.

What is your strongest memory of that night?

– It was probably when I stood on the outside of the tilted boat and looked up at the moon and told myself that tonight I would not die. But also when the captain honked the horn three times and I told Sara that we had to jump because now the boat is sinking. There were three long horns and that was just before it started spinning and sinking. We also understood that the captain chose to stay and it was an emotional moment.

The documentary “Estonia: Finding That Changes Everything” reveals that there is a large hole in the hull, which has led to various conspiracy theories. Have you and several others testified that you heard two actual explosions?

– I absolutely did. The ship fell heavily on its side twice and then rose again. Everyone was lost, it happened so suddenly. I was sitting next to a railing that ran the length of the bar and I managed to grab it. So I didn’t go down with the others. He was completely dumbfounded by the first outburst. Some became listless with fear when I lost my hearing. I could only hear my own pulse, it was a huge shock. I looked around and there were people screaming but I didn’t hear them. It was like a scene from a movie.

– It was also when people started to separate and the next 10-15 minutes became very decisive for who would survive and who would not. It was difficult to get out because the boat leaned so much, some tried to run up but came back down due to the slope. For me, all the thinking came down to making small decisions that improved my situation step by step. If he had taken it all in and started thinking about his chances of surviving or how many degrees he was in the water, he probably would have given up.

Photo: DPLAY

Image from the documentary series “Estonia: the find that changes everything” shows the hole in the Estonian hull, which sank in 1994. According to information from the documentary series, the hole is four meters high and was previously partially hidden towards the seabed.

Photo: DPLAY

The damage to the Estonian hull is four meters high and 1.2 meters at the widest point. Here it is illustrated in a graph.

How did you react when you found out about the hole in the hull?

– On the one hand it was a confirmation of what I and many others already thought, on the other hand you were so surprised when you saw it in the photo. There has always been the hypothesis that water has entered through more than one way, but it has only been rejected. There are so many questions. Regardless of the hole, it is extremely important that a new independent international investigation is carried out. The documentary is very credible and many want to appear now and give their testimonies. But that you go to a freelance journalist to get all this started is quite remarkable.

Have you and many survivors repeatedly indicated that you were not heard?

– We have not been allowed to testify and it is very remarkable and serious. That should be the first thing you do.

Do you think there could be a reason why they didn’t listen to you?

– You can really think about that. In an accident investigation, I think it is essential to listen to the people who have been on the scene. I can’t even come up with a good theory why testimonials shouldn’t be listened to. It really raises the suspicion that something is not right, because it is completely absurd.

Sara Hedrenius and others have testified about military transports traveling on board.

– Exactly. It was previously said that there were no military transports on board Estonia, but then a customs worker retired who testified that it must have been and then they had to change history. It was admitted that there were two military transports on board, but not exactly that night … The same goes for the hole, it was said that there was no hole until a private filmmaker showed pictures of it. Then you had to change history again.

Do you think the truth will come to an end?

– I am convinced that one day we will find out what happened. What has emerged now is a historic opportunity to correct history. This is a bigger problem than Estonia alone, it is about trust in the rule of law. Should 852 people die and then just add it to documents after poor accident investigation? There is nothing you can accept in a democracy.

Does all this result in the old wounds breaking down again?

– Of course yes. But if you have lost many friends and colleagues, you have a responsibility. What happened should not be forgotten and we should not give up. Many lost their lives that night and it has not been credibly investigated. Those of us who survive largely do not recognize ourselves at all in the Accident Investigation Board report. Then something is wrong.

Photo: LOTTE FERNVALL

“I am convinced that one day we will know what happened.”

Aftonbladet brochure the day after the Estonian disaster


Kent Härstedt on …

  • … Business trips to North Korea:
    I normally visit North Korea twice a year. It is very special but they always welcome me very well. Because I have a long history that goes back a long way, they know me, which gives them security when we communicate. People rarely exchange in North Korea, which means that they are often the same people you are dealing with after twenty years.

  • The imbalance in life:
    Previously I was completely absorbed in my mission, there was as much as you could and did. If you have an assignment that you like and you are a committed person, it is difficult not to do it. When I became a diplomat that changed and there are some frameworks for assignments and how to work, which has contributed to a better balance in life. I also try to develop my social life so that it not only involves work but also health and socialization.

  • The health journey two years ago:
    – I was really downtrodden and exercised. The diet was not good and worsened with exercise. Today I am in good shape and normally I am under 50 at rest. I make sure to move daily and there will be at least 15,000 steps. Due to the pandemic, I rarely go to the gym and run more outdoors.

  • The state of love:
    – I’ve had company for a long time and I think it feels great.


Published:

READ ON

[ad_2]