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There is increasing evidence that M / S Estonia could be investigated through an underwater operation, and authorities and ministries are already preparing to round off the diving ban.
Here’s the plan to map the wreck down to the finest detail.
– In four or five days, we could do a full inspection where we even see a small scratch in the paint, says underwater expert Linus Andersson.
Can new technologies answer the mystery of the sinking of M / S Estonia?
This is the opinion of several experts Aftonbladet spoke with.
The current technology, and which has also been discussed in the Swedish Accident Investigation Board, is called photogrammetry and involves building a 3D model of the wreck with the help of a diving robot equipped with a film camera. .
In Sweden, there are some experts who have the knowledge and equipment to carry out the surveys, one of them is Ingemar Ingemar Lundgren, CEO of the company Ocean Discovery.
– With this technology, you will get a uniform image of everything that is visible on the outside of the wreck to the bottom. It will be like a digital rescue from the shipwreck, he says.
Previously, it had mapped environmentally hazardous wrecks on behalf of the Swedish Maritime Administration, where it has also been possible to go far in causing the damage. One of the remains is M / S Immen in front of Gotska sandön.
– In that case, it was rumored to have been sunk by a submarine, but in our investigation we saw clear indications that it was the anchors in the bow that had come loose and then drilled into the side of the ship, says Ingemar Lundgren.
Photo: Dplay
With the help of an ROV that methodically photographs the ship, a 3D model can be created documenting Estonia at the millimeter level.
“Complete model”
In such an exploration operation, the ROV films the wreckage below the surface of the water to millimeter levels. Through data processing, a 3D model is created, which is then applied to the images.
Linus Andersson was part of the production team behind the Discovery documentary that revealed the four-meter-long damage to the ship’s hull and runs the LA Survey company that deals with this type of mapping.
– With this technology, we would get a complete Estonian model down to the millimeter level. You can even see a small scratch in the paint on the boat and it will be a very good base for the engineers and other experts to take over then, says Linus Andersson.
Depending on the cause of the hole, it would be possible to look for, for example, colored scratches or something else that can give an explanation in the ROV material.
Photo: Linus Andersson
The ROV is a diving robot that transmits high resolution images via cable to the operator on the surface.
Photo: Ocean Discovery for the Swedish Maritime Administration
The Immen wreck off Gotska sandön that was mapped to prevent emissions of substances dangerous to the environment.
Photo: Ocean Discovery for the Swedish Maritime Administration
The Bremsund shipwreck sank off Kalmar in 1966 and is also classified as a possible environmental disaster.
According to Linus Andersson, a natural second step in an M / S Estonia investigation would be to send divers to the wreck.
– Divers can be positioned based on 3D material, which also gives the diver less risk because he knows exactly where to go and if there are any dangerous objects there, says Linus Andersson.
Maximum 5 million and 4-5 days
According to Linus Andersson, if the authorities make a decision about diving, it would be to film the hole from the inside. To get there, divers must travel long distances inside the ferry or drill a hole in the ship’s hull, as was done in December 1994.
– It would have been a sensible alternative if you wanted to see what this damage looks like on the inside, which can provide a lot of information, he says.
Photo: Linda Öberg
Linus Andersson, an underwater expert who was on the production team behind the Discovery documentary.
Linus Andersson does not want to go into the exact price of what a survey in Estonia would cost. But he estimates that it would not be more than 5 million crowns and a working time of 4-5 days.
Estonian law is analyzed
M / S Estonia is protected by special legislation that prohibits underwater activities around the wreck. Linus Andersson has been charged and risks up to two years in prison for his work in revealing the damage to the ship’s hull, along with journalist Henrik Evertsson.
At present, several parties of the Riksdag have opened up to a change in the law and, most recently, this morning, the responsible minister Mikael Damberg (S) said that he does not rule out a diving operation “if necessary”.
According to Aftonbladet sources, work has already begun at the level of authorities and ministries to investigate the conditions for exempting underwater studies from the authorities from the law prohibiting diving in Estonia.
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