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Peter Örn, then Secretary General of the Red Cross, was commissioned by the government in 1997 to lead a focus group that would examine how society had handled the Estonian disaster.
The group recommended that the bodies in and around Estonia be cared for by divers and brought home for burial. Then, as now, a controversial position and a proposal that was rejected.
“It was possible to implement”
– We realized that it could be implemented, that is what the divers now confirm in the documentary. They knew where the victims were. On the ship and its surroundings, says Peter Örn.
– Family members have the right to bury their loved ones. So it is reasonable to take care of the bodies and bring them home. Today, more than 20 years later, I have not changed my mind that he was right.
Now divers from the British-Norwegian diving company Rockwater, which was officially in Estonia after the sinking in 1994, confirm that it would have been easy to rescue bodies if only the will had existed. They count in the new documentary “Estonia: the decision that changed everything”, how upset they were that the Swedish authorities did not allow them to take care of the bodies.
Could have rescued 125 bodies
British divers say they could have rescued at least 125 bodies in just a few hours if they had been given the go-ahead.
– I understand the feelings of the divers, their frustration and sadness. During our work in the analysis group, we were able to see excerpts from classified films of the dive company. We were able to hear how a diver asked if he could take care of the bodies, says Peter Örn.
He says that in Rockwater films you can hear dialogue between divers within Estonia and people on the dive boat, including people from the Swedish Maritime Administration. Remember how one diver asked the question “Can’t I do anything? Shouldn’t you take care of the body? “and received the reply” Go ahead and do your research! “Roughly the same scenario as the divers describe in the new Estonian documentary.
Deeply touched by the movies
– Over the years, I have often thought about the diver that I heard when I was inside the boat. How you lived and hosted the experiences you did. Those of us who saw the movies moved us deeply, says Peter Örn.
In the documentary, diver Stewart Rumbles says:
– Someone said that we should not save the bodies because we can be traumatized. But it was actually a major trauma to leave the bodies there when we could have saved them.
Peter Örn explains that he came to the conclusion that the bodies must be taken care of after conversations with more than a thousand relatives in Sweden. He says that most of the people expressed grief at not being able to bring their bodies home.
– For many family members, there are still questions to be clarified. I respect what they do to get answers to questions. I feel humble and respect for people’s pain, says Peter Örn.
The proposal was rejected
The first report of the analysis group was presented to the government in 1998. It was proposed that the bodies be removed and identified. The proposal was rejected after the Swedish government consulted with the Finnish and Estonian governments. Estonia remained a cemetery.
However, the group complied with their proposal that Estonian coverage should stop for good.
In their second report, 1999, Peter Örn’s think tank proposed how Sweden’s crisis management should be improved.
The Estonian disaster and its consequences
