MV Estonia replay with NEW UPDATES!

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Hello and welcome to Shipwrecks 
and Sea Dogs, tales of mishaps, 

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misfortune and misadventure. 
I'm your host, Rich. 

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Napolitano, I'm. 
Taking just a little. 

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Bit of a break for the holidays 
right now. 

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So I'm replaying episode 4 way 
back from the archives of 

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September of 2022. 
The Tragedy of the MV Estonia. 

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One of the first episodes I ever
recorded. 

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This was a. 
Horrible ferry disaster that. 

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Occurred in 1990. 
Four in the Baltic. 

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Sea. 
Killing 852 of the 989 on board.

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From the start, rumors, 
speculation and conspiracy 

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theories were floated about the 
cause of it, sinking in the 

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official conclusions from the 
accident. 

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Investigation released in. 1997.
Weren't universally. 

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Accepted. 
A supplemental investigation 

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began in 2021, and a new report 
was released in late 2025. 

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At the end of this episode, I 
will tell you about this recent 

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investigation by Estonia, 
Finland. 

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And Sweden. 
And the conclusions drawn from 

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their. 
Additional data. 

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This is a brand new report just 
released at the end of 2025. 

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Once again, here is the tragedy 
of the MV Estonia. 

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Enjoy. 
It is 7:15 PM, September 27th, 

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1994. 
The cruise. 

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Ferry MV Estonia is leaving the.
Port at Tallinn headed. 

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For Stockholm, with 989 people 
on board and. 

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A packed vehicle deck, it is the
largest. 

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Ship in the Estonian fleet. 
In the pride. 

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Of a newly formed nation. 
It is stormy, windy and the seas

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are rough. 
Nevertheless, the passengers 

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begin their voyage enjoying the 
luxuries on board, dining, 

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dancing. 
A pub, even karaoke after the 

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festivities. 
Englishman Paul Blarney decides 

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to settle in for the night. 
To save money, Blarney didn't 

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reserve a cabin and instead 
curled up in a sleeping bag in 

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one of the ship's cafes. 
Not long after, he is awakened 

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by a loud clang and moments 
later, a louder bang. 

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He looks up. 
And sees tables and chairs 

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sliding and toppling toward one 
side. 

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The ship is quite obviously 
listing to starboard. 

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Panicked, he scrambles out of 
the cafe, fighting against 

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gravity, and dodges falling 
glassware and cutlery. 

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He makes it out to the 
promenade. 

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Deck where there is panic and 
chaos. 

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The ship is going down and going
down fast. 

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He jumps. 
Into the cold Baltic Sea and is 

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fortunate to be rescued. 
By a nearby lifeboat. 

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Most others aboard. 
Would not be so fortunate. 

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The MV Estonia today on 
shipwrecks and sea dogs in the 

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late 1970s. 
Tourism and commuter demand 

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across the Baltic Sea. 
Was booming this rapidly. 

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Expanding industry resulted in 
the need for larger and faster 

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ferry ships to keep up with 
demands of increasing traffic. 

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An agreement to build the ship 
that would become. 

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The MV Estonia was signed in 
September 1979 and it. 

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Would be built. 
By the Meyer Werft shipyard in 

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Pipenburg, Germany, in order to 
shorten the delivery time of the

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ship. 
The specifications would be 

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nearly identical to her sister 
ship, the. 

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Diana 2 in addition. 
Sections of the ship's 

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construction, including the hall
and its superstructure, were 

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subcontracted to other shipyards
to help speed up production. 

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She would be the second largest 
ship operating. 

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In the Baltic Sea at the time 
behind only the gas turbine 

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powered fin jet. 
That operated. 

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Between Helsinki, Finland and 
Travamunda, Germany. 

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On June 29th. 1980. 
The ship was. 

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Completed and put into service 
under the name Viking Sally, 

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operating a regular route 
between Stockholm and the 

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Finnish cities of Turku and 
Marijam. 

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In 1990 the ship would be taken 
over by the Finnish F John Group

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and then sold again in 1993 to 
Eslin Marine Company Limited, an

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Estonian company. 
The ship would be given the new 

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name. 
Estonia and. 

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Operate a route between Tallinn,
Estonia and Stockholm, Sweden. 

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Some Mariners. 
Say it is bad luck for a ship. 

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To be renamed and the Estonia 
had been renamed multiple times 

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by 1994. 
It is worth noting that the 

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renaming of ships is not 
uncommon. 

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And almost always happens when 
a. 

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Ship is sold to a new. 
Company, but the Estonia did 

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have her share. 
Of misfortune, in 1986 a Finnish

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businessman by the name of 
Auntie Aliyala was found. 

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Dead, having been strangled. 
And stabbed to death by his 

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business partner, Rayo Hammer. 
Mr. Hammer had, apparently. 

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Caught Mr. Aliyala stealing 
money out of his wallet while 

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named the Viking Sally in 1987. 
A brutal murder took. 

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Place on board the ship. 
A W German man. 

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Klaus Shelka and his girlfriend 
were viciously attacked while 

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enjoying a nice night on the 
open air. 

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Deck Shelka was killed. 
And his girlfriend was left with

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permanent injuries. 
The case remains unsolved. 

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To this day. 
The Estonia was a combination 

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passenger and cargo ferry. 
With the lower deck providing. 

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Open space for passengers to 
drive their vehicles on board 

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and drive them off at their 
destination in. 

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January of 1990. 4. 
The ship was fitted with a roll 

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stabilizing. 
System with fins to. 

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Provide extra stability, 
especially. 

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In heavy seas. 
Another safety feature were. 15 

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watertight compartments with 
watertight hatches. 

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The Estonia also had its 
comforts, offering three 

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restaurants, 3 bars. 
A duty free shop. 

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A cinema. 
A casino. 

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A video arcade and even a 
swimming. 

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Pool and sauna. 
Down on the bottom deck. 

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In command was Captain. 
Arvo Anderson of Estonia Captain

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Anderson was a seasoned veteran 
of the SEA with 23 years 

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experience. 
He had been captain of the 

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Estonia since it joined the S 
Line fleet a year earlier, a 

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feature of the. 
Estonia and some other ferries. 

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Operating in the Baltic at the 
time was the bow visor. 

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This mechanism was a. 
Hydraulic powered lift that. 

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Raised the entire triangular 
shaped. 

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Bow upward so the. 
Loading ramp could be used to. 

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Load or unload vehicles when the
bow visor. 

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Shut it, came back down, and 
locked in place to serve as the 

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bow of the ship. 
This type of ship. 

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Is called roll on roll off as 
opposed to container. 

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Ships that use cranes to load 
and unload shipping containers, 

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some Mariners, Riley say, roll 
on, roll over. 

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Due to the risks. 
Associated with these ships. 

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Prior to departure. 
On September 27th, 1990. 4 the 

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Estonia received. 
The weather forecast, Which? 

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Predicted waves up to 6. 
To 10 feet high and winds 

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between 27 to 38 mph. 
Expecting rough seas? 

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The chief officer issued an 
order to. 

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Secure all heavy. 
Cargo, including the vehicles. 

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On board at 7:15 PM on September
27th, 1990, 4:15 minutes behind 

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schedule, the Estonia embarked 
on its voyage from Tallinn to 

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Stockholm, carrying 989 people, 
including 186. 

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Crew earlier that. 
Same day the Estonia. 

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Had been used in training. 
Exercises by the Estonian 

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Maritime Administration Swedish 
inspectors who had been 

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operating the training exercise 
noted that the ship was in 

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excellent condition and was very
well maintained. 

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However, it was noted. 
That the rubber seals of the bow

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visor were worn and needed to be
replaced, and at least one of 

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the watertight hatches on the 
car deck was not closing 

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properly. 
The inspectors also reported 

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that the ship. 
'S crew had shown a lack. 

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Of respect for issues related to
load. 

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Line matters After leaving 
Tallinn, the Estonia was 

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listing. 
Slightly to starboard. 

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Due to uneven weight 
distribution and the port. 

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Side ballast was adjusted. 
Accordingly. 

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The Estonia would travel. 
At an average speed of 17 knots,

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and she was expected to arrive 
in Stockholm at 9:00 AM the 

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following morning, September 
28th, the ship would encounter A

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rainstorm as it left Holland, 
but conditions remain. 

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Satisfactory by midnight. 
The winds had. 

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Increased to almost 45 mph. 
And the rough seas were 

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producing waves up to 18 feet 
high. 

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The ship was still running a 
little bit behind. 

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Schedule and despite the. 
Rolling and pitching of the 

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ship. 
Captain Anderson did not. 

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Wish to slow down down Below, 
some passengers were enjoying 

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dinner, dancing, socializing and
the entertainment on board. 

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Including a new dance troupe. 
The revelry continued despite 

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the rough conditions and items 
were seen falling off tables and

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walls. 
Dancers from the troupe were 

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even seen crashing into the drum
kit on the stage, struggling to 

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keep their balance. 
On deck. 5 passengers were 

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enjoying karaoke in the Admiral 
Pub. 

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Just before 1:00 AM, the pub was
scheduled. 

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To close at 1:00 AM. 
But the karaoke? 

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Host wanted to keep the party 
going, announcing. 

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We have had. 
Such an amusing time tonight, so

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I. 
Think I should extend the time 

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a? 
Little but the pitching and 

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rolling was a little too much 
for many passengers who were 

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made seasick and returned to 
their cabins. 

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As the Estonia continued West 
across the Baltic Sea, she was 

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now being noticeably battered by
the violent. 

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Waves for AD free. 
Listening, please join the. 

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Officers Club. 
On patreon@patreon.com/shiprex 

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Pod or directly in Apple 
Podcasts. 

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Just find the show in Apple 
Podcasts and click the banner to

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subscribe. 
1:00 AM Captain Anderson retired

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for the evening, leaving Junior.
Officers in charge of the bridge

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at 1:00 AM Silva. 
Lind, the seaman on watch, was 

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making his rounds on the lower 
car deck when he heard a sudden,

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loud metallic clang. 
Back in the Admiral pub, a 

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passenger who also heard the 
bang was heard to joke. 

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Now we have sailed. 
Against an iceberg. 

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After radioing to the bridge to 
tell. 

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What he heard, Lind went to the 
bow to investigate. 

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Standing near the ramp, he 
checked the bow. 

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Visors, locking mechanisms, and 
watched and listened all seemed 

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to be normal. 
Just a few seconds later, 

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00:12:08,640 --> 00:12:11,640
another loud bang was. 
Heard passengers. 

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And off duty crew. 
Members in their cabins reported

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00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:15,960
the unusual sounds coming from 
the bow. 

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Captain Anderson most certainly 
heard the loud. 

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Banging and felt the ship lurch.
He immediately returned to the 

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bridge. 
Silva Lind was again ordered 

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00:12:26,560 --> 00:12:28,840
down to the car deck to 
investigate the source of the 

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noises. 
Unfortunately, he never made it.

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00:12:32,320 --> 00:12:36,640
At 1:20 AM, the visor completely
separated from the bow. 

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Water poured through the. 
Doors to the ramp flooding the 

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car deck, the ship immediately 
began listing badly to 

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starboard. 
Captain Anderson ordered. 

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The ship to reduce speed and a. 
Hard turn to port. 

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He hoped the force of the waves.
Crashing into the. 

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Side of the ship. 
Would help straightener, but in 

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fact the turn forced the ship to
list even further. 

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00:12:58,520 --> 00:13:01,120
As the ship lurched. 
And struggled against the sea. 

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Captain Anderson was struck in 
the head by falling debris and 

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knocked unconscious. 
The captain rolled down the 

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slanted. 
Deck before coming to rest on 

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the starboard. 
Side Windows survivor Paul. 

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00:13:12,040 --> 00:13:14,920
Blarney, who found his way out 
of his sleeping bag and into a. 

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Lifeboat described his escape. 
I realized that this was. 

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Quite a desperate situation. 
Panicked passengers ran up the 

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stairs to the upper decks to 
escape. 

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The on rushing frigid water. 
Sadly, many passengers were 

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stuck in their cabins and could 
not escape. 

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The angle of the ship made it 
difficult to climb the staircase

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and passengers hauled themselves
up using the hand rails. 

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00:13:38,720 --> 00:13:40,760
Those fortunate enough to reach 
the top. 

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Deck were given life jackets. 
And were either swept. 

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00:13:43,480 --> 00:13:45,880
Out into the sea or they jumped 
in themselves. 

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The ship was listing so badly 
that the lifeboats could not be 

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launched. 
However, some life rafts were 

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released into the water and 
those in the water began 

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00:13:54,520 --> 00:13:58,120
frantically scrambling into them
at 120 AMA. 

227
00:13:58,400 --> 00:14:00,440
Female voice rang out over the 
ship's. 

228
00:14:00,440 --> 00:14:03,600
Public address. 
System translated from Estonian.

229
00:14:04,200 --> 00:14:06,280
Alarm Alarm. 
There is an. 

230
00:14:06,280 --> 00:14:08,440
Alarm on the ship. 
This was quickly. 

231
00:14:08,440 --> 00:14:12,320
Followed by an internal coded 
message for the crew stating Mr.

232
00:14:12,320 --> 00:14:17,800
Skylight to number 1 and #2 This
message was later determined 

233
00:14:17,800 --> 00:14:20,320
from the ship's safety plan to 
mean that crew members. 

234
00:14:20,320 --> 00:14:23,280
Assigned to fire. 
Group 1 should report to fire. 

235
00:14:23,280 --> 00:14:27,800
Station 1 forward on deck 8 
underneath the bridge and fire. 

236
00:14:27,800 --> 00:14:32,080
Group 2 should report to fire. 
Station 2 aft on the car deck. 

237
00:14:32,480 --> 00:14:34,400
Shortly. 
After the coded message, a 

238
00:14:34,400 --> 00:14:37,320
general alarm was sounded for 
the lifeboats, consisting of 

239
00:14:37,320 --> 00:14:41,320
seven short sounds followed by 1
long one at the. 

240
00:14:41,320 --> 00:14:43,760
Time of this alarm. 
The ship's generators were 

241
00:14:43,760 --> 00:14:45,520
overcome with flooding and shut 
down. 

242
00:14:46,640 --> 00:14:49,880
The Estonia had no. 
Power, no engines and was 

243
00:14:49,880 --> 00:14:52,800
sinking fast. 
At 1:22. 

244
00:14:52,800 --> 00:14:54,960
AM the. 
Estonia sent out its. 

245
00:14:54,960 --> 00:14:58,600
First mayday call and a second 
mayday message was sent just 

246
00:14:58,600 --> 00:15:01,640
minutes later. 14 ship and 
shore. 

247
00:15:01,640 --> 00:15:05,320
Bay stations had received the 
Estonia's mayday call by 1:24 

248
00:15:05,320 --> 00:15:08,480
AM. 
The Maritime Rescue Coordination

249
00:15:08,480 --> 00:15:12,520
Center in Turku, Finland, was 
one of those stations and rescue

250
00:15:12,520 --> 00:15:15,280
operations were initiated. 3rd 
mate. 

251
00:15:15,280 --> 00:15:18,280
Of the Estonia Andres Toms. 
Was able to reach. 

252
00:15:18,280 --> 00:15:21,200
Captain Tayo Zeppelin of the 
Sylja Europa. 

253
00:15:21,640 --> 00:15:24,760
I have a recording of the radio 
transmission from the. 

254
00:15:24,760 --> 00:15:27,480
Estonia and. 
Also the response from ships 

255
00:15:27,480 --> 00:15:30,800
surrounding it at a certain 
point, the radio operators. 

256
00:15:30,800 --> 00:15:33,600
Changed to the Finnish language 
and at that point I will read 

257
00:15:33,600 --> 00:15:42,920
the transcript. 
To you, Estonia, this is Celia 

258
00:15:43,120 --> 00:15:48,680
Europe replying on June 16, 
Estonia. 

259
00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:55,480
This is Celia Europe on June 16.
Estonia. 

260
00:15:57,280 --> 00:15:58,280
Estonia. 
Estonia. 

261
00:15:59,520 --> 00:16:06,640
Mayday, Mayday Estonia. 
Estonia. 

262
00:16:06,680 --> 00:16:09,560
Celia ROP. 
Are you replying? 

263
00:16:09,880 --> 00:16:14,800
Calling Mayday Estonia. 
What's going on? 

264
00:16:14,800 --> 00:16:21,680
Can you reply? 
This is Estonia, Estonia. 

265
00:16:21,680 --> 00:16:25,840
This is Celia ROP. 
Toms, good morning. 

266
00:16:25,840 --> 00:16:31,200
Do you speak Finnish Zeppelin? 
Yes, I speak Finnish Toms. 

267
00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:34,480
Yes, we have a problem here. 
We have a bad. 

268
00:16:34,480 --> 00:16:37,800
Listing on the right. 
Side I believe. 20 or 30°. 

269
00:16:38,600 --> 00:16:41,400
Could you come to assist and 
also ask Viking Line for help? 

270
00:16:42,440 --> 00:16:45,200
Zeppelin. 
Yes, Viking Line is behind us 

271
00:16:45,200 --> 00:16:46,760
and probably got the 
information. 

272
00:16:46,880 --> 00:16:49,640
Can you give me your position 
Toms? 

273
00:16:50,640 --> 00:16:52,680
We are having a blackout. 
I don't know. 

274
00:16:53,040 --> 00:16:57,840
I can't tell you, Zeppelin. 
OK, we will take action. 

275
00:16:59,240 --> 00:17:02,920
Toms are you coming to help 
Zeppelin? 

276
00:17:03,760 --> 00:17:05,960
Yes, we are. 
Can you give us any exact 

277
00:17:05,960 --> 00:17:10,040
location? 
Toms I can't tell you because. 

278
00:17:10,040 --> 00:17:12,800
We have a blackout here. 
Zeppelin. 

279
00:17:12,920 --> 00:17:17,000
Yes, you see. 
Us right Toms Yes, we can hear 

280
00:17:17,000 --> 00:17:21,240
you Zeppelin. 
OK, we will start finding out 

281
00:17:21,240 --> 00:17:22,720
your position. 
Just a moment. 

282
00:17:23,400 --> 00:17:25,520
Of course, we will come to 
assist, but we will have to 

283
00:17:25,520 --> 00:17:29,160
determine your location now. 
Toms, I will tell you the 

284
00:17:29,160 --> 00:17:32,560
location now. 
Zeppelin, go ahead. 

285
00:17:33,760 --> 00:17:37,760
Toms 59° and 22 minutes 
latitude. 

286
00:17:38,920 --> 00:17:41,680
Zeppelin. 
OK, 22 minutes. 

287
00:17:41,680 --> 00:17:46,400
We will go there. 
Toms 21 degrees, 40 minutes, E 

288
00:17:46,400 --> 00:17:50,840
longitude. 
Zeppelin 21 degrees, 40 minutes,

289
00:17:50,840 --> 00:17:56,000
E longitude. 
OK Toms It's looking really bad,

290
00:17:56,120 --> 00:18:01,040
really bad right now. 
Zeppelin and it's looking really

291
00:18:01,040 --> 00:18:02,040
bad. 
We are coming. 

292
00:18:02,400 --> 00:18:06,280
It was 21 degrees, 40 minutes. 
That would be the. 

293
00:18:06,280 --> 00:18:08,240
Last communication. 
From the Estonia. 

294
00:18:08,920 --> 00:18:11,520
The Cilia Europa continued 
communicating. 

295
00:18:11,520 --> 00:18:13,760
With several other ships, 
including the Mariela. 

296
00:18:13,760 --> 00:18:17,480
As they struggled to locate the 
Estonia, the radio transmission 

297
00:18:17,480 --> 00:18:19,800
continued as the ships headed. 
For the coordinates. 

298
00:18:19,800 --> 00:18:24,040
Given by the Estonia. 
The Estonia was in real trouble.

299
00:18:24,040 --> 00:18:26,400
At this time. 
The ship was listing. 

300
00:18:26,400 --> 00:18:30,760
Even worse, at approximately 60°
and icy seawater from the Baltic

301
00:18:30,760 --> 00:18:32,600
was now filling the 
accommodation deck. 

302
00:18:32,600 --> 00:18:34,320
Where the cruise quarters? 
Are located. 

303
00:18:35,040 --> 00:18:38,000
In a flash, by 1:30 AM, the 
entire. 

304
00:18:38,000 --> 00:18:39,960
Starboard side of the. 
Ship was submerged. 

305
00:18:40,720 --> 00:18:45,120
By 132, the ship was. 
Fully 90° lying on the water on 

306
00:18:45,120 --> 00:18:47,760
its starboard. 
Side the Estonia disappeared. 

307
00:18:47,760 --> 00:18:51,920
From radar at 1:50 AM, sinking 
to the dark bottom of the Baltic

308
00:18:51,920 --> 00:18:56,120
Sea. 18 year old Estonian. 
EIN alar. 

309
00:18:56,120 --> 00:18:58,520
Johansson was a fortunate 
survivor. 

310
00:18:59,000 --> 00:19:01,280
He was travelling to Germany for
a competition. 

311
00:19:01,680 --> 00:19:05,520
Along with friend Auntie. 
Arak The two men were able to 

312
00:19:05,520 --> 00:19:08,600
escape their cabin and up to the
main staircase, where they ran 

313
00:19:08,600 --> 00:19:12,640
along the side of the Estonia's 
hall as she was turned 90° and 

314
00:19:12,640 --> 00:19:14,640
jumped into the. 
Water they held. 

315
00:19:14,640 --> 00:19:17,720
On to a floating wooden box as 
they watched the ship go down. 

316
00:19:18,560 --> 00:19:21,000
It was the same way. 
As with the Titanic. 

317
00:19:21,360 --> 00:19:23,560
At one point. 
The ship lifted up straight. 

318
00:19:23,880 --> 00:19:27,040
And then sank recalled. 
Johansson, Englishman. 

319
00:19:27,040 --> 00:19:29,560
Paul Blarney. 
Escaped in a similar fashion, 

320
00:19:29,640 --> 00:19:33,760
finding his way to an inflatable
life raft, the cruise ship 

321
00:19:33,760 --> 00:19:36,120
Mariella, who had. 
Received a distress call, 

322
00:19:36,120 --> 00:19:40,200
arrived 1st at 2:00. 12 AM. 
The Mariella launched their life

323
00:19:40,200 --> 00:19:41,360
rafts. 
And began to pull. 

324
00:19:41,360 --> 00:19:44,400
Survivors out of the sea. 
The ship's crew. 

325
00:19:44,400 --> 00:19:46,200
Radioed to other. 
Boats in the area. 

326
00:19:46,760 --> 00:19:48,680
We have. 
Deployed a few rafts and have 

327
00:19:48,680 --> 00:19:51,440
seen people in the water. 
We saw at least. 

328
00:19:51,440 --> 00:19:54,360
Four lying and floating around 
in the light right here. 

329
00:19:55,360 --> 00:19:57,520
The Mariala would save. 13 
people. 

330
00:19:58,760 --> 00:20:01,240
A short time later. 
They would send another message.

331
00:20:01,960 --> 00:20:04,720
The sea around us is full of 
people and we see a. 

332
00:20:04,720 --> 00:20:07,840
Lifeboat full of water and one 
person in it and we're deploying

333
00:20:07,840 --> 00:20:12,120
rafts as fast as we can. 
The Silja Europa radioed its own

334
00:20:12,120 --> 00:20:14,600
message. 
The helicopters are coming. 

335
00:20:14,680 --> 00:20:17,200
And we have judged that we 
cannot deploy the boats. 

336
00:20:17,240 --> 00:20:18,480
We'll just. 
Prepare to take. 

337
00:20:18,480 --> 00:20:21,720
People in. 
At 3 O 5:00 AM the. 

338
00:20:21,720 --> 00:20:24,040
Helicopters arrived to assist 
with the rescue. 

339
00:20:25,080 --> 00:20:28,800
A Finnish rescue helicopter was 
able to rescue 44 souls from the

340
00:20:28,800 --> 00:20:30,400
icy water. 
And the cruise? 

341
00:20:30,400 --> 00:20:35,560
Ferry Isabella rescued 16 more. 
Some passengers were fortunate 

342
00:20:35,560 --> 00:20:39,000
enough to get off the ship and 
into a life raft, only to die of

343
00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:44,000
hypothermia before being 
rescued. 989 people left Tolland

344
00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:50,560
aboard the Estonia. 852 lost 
their lives, 138 were rescued. 

345
00:20:51,680 --> 00:20:59,040
Of the Dead 5. 101 were Swedes, 
285 were Estonian, 23 Latvian, 

346
00:20:59,640 --> 00:21:04,400
11 Russian, 10 Finnish and the 
rest were from 11 different 

347
00:21:04,400 --> 00:21:07,440
countries. 
Only 5% of the women on board 

348
00:21:07,440 --> 00:21:11,560
survived, compared to 22% of the
men. 43. 

349
00:21:11,560 --> 00:21:16,160
Of the 137 crew survived the 
wreck, however, Captain Anderson

350
00:21:16,160 --> 00:21:19,800
went down with his ship. 
Only 94 bodies were ever 

351
00:21:19,800 --> 00:21:23,040
recovered. 
The Baltic claim the remaining. 

352
00:23:20,760 --> 00:23:23,520
An investigation was launched 
only a day after the sinking of 

353
00:23:23,520 --> 00:23:26,440
the Estonia. 
Investigators from Finland, 

354
00:23:26,520 --> 00:23:29,400
Sweden and Estonia all 
interviewed survivors and 

355
00:23:29,400 --> 00:23:33,320
examined evidence. 
In 1997, the Commission issued 

356
00:23:33,320 --> 00:23:35,720
its report and initially 
determined the following. 

357
00:23:36,560 --> 00:23:38,800
The vessel was seaworthy. 
And properly. 

358
00:23:38,800 --> 00:23:42,040
Manned, the cargo was. 
Secured to normal standard. 

359
00:23:42,200 --> 00:23:45,360
And the visor was properly. 
Closed and secured on departure 

360
00:23:46,240 --> 00:23:47,920
the. 
Vessel had a starboard list of 

361
00:23:47,920 --> 00:23:49,040
about 1. 
Degree. 

362
00:23:49,040 --> 00:23:52,880
When she gained the open sea, it
was determined that the bow 

363
00:23:52,880 --> 00:23:57,440
visor lock and its hinges failed
due to one or possibly 2 crashes

364
00:23:57,440 --> 00:24:00,760
of heavy waves. 
The visor became caught on the 

365
00:24:00,760 --> 00:24:03,280
ramp before completely 
separating and falling into the 

366
00:24:03,280 --> 00:24:06,560
sea, pulling the ramp to the car
deck fully open. 

367
00:24:07,320 --> 00:24:10,160
Water was then able to. 
Flood into the car deck, causing

368
00:24:10,160 --> 00:24:12,920
the ship to list. 
The conclusions of the 

369
00:24:12,920 --> 00:24:15,880
Commission largely put the blame
on the bow visor locks and 

370
00:24:15,880 --> 00:24:20,080
hinges, stating that they should
have been several times stronger

371
00:24:20,080 --> 00:24:22,120
to have a reasonable level of 
safety. 

372
00:24:22,920 --> 00:24:25,760
The Commission pointed out that 
other bowel visor incidents had 

373
00:24:25,760 --> 00:24:28,600
occurred, including on the 
Estonia sister ship Diana. 

374
00:24:28,600 --> 00:24:31,760
Two but data about. 
These incidents were not 

375
00:24:31,760 --> 00:24:35,680
properly gathered or analyzed, 
Another contributing. 

376
00:24:35,680 --> 00:24:37,400
Factor was the failure of the 
crew to. 

377
00:24:37,400 --> 00:24:38,920
Respond in a timely. 
Manner. 

378
00:24:39,560 --> 00:24:42,080
This was largely due to the. 
Position of the bridge. 

379
00:24:42,600 --> 00:24:44,600
It was not possible for the 
officers. 

380
00:24:44,600 --> 00:24:46,640
On the bridge. 
To see the bow or the bow? 

381
00:24:46,640 --> 00:24:49,520
Visor due to the angle of the 
bridge and the top deck. 

382
00:24:50,200 --> 00:24:52,640
If they could have seen the bow,
the problem would have been 

383
00:24:52,640 --> 00:24:56,560
immediately apparent. 
In addition, the visor indicator

384
00:24:56,560 --> 00:24:58,880
lamps did not turn on when the 
visor became. 

385
00:24:58,880 --> 00:25:02,880
Detached the rescue efforts. 
Were also at fault, according to

386
00:25:02,880 --> 00:25:06,160
investigators. 
Each helicopter only carried one

387
00:25:06,160 --> 00:25:08,640
man to assist in the rescue. 
And some of the. 

388
00:25:08,640 --> 00:25:10,960
Helicopters carry journalists to
the wreck site. 

389
00:25:12,240 --> 00:25:15,160
The rescue equipment was deemed 
unsuitable for use in poor 

390
00:25:15,160 --> 00:25:18,440
weather conditions such as this,
which further Hanford the number

391
00:25:18,440 --> 00:25:20,280
of passengers who could have 
been rescued. 

392
00:25:21,760 --> 00:25:24,640
The wreck of the. 
Estonia lies 22 nautical miles 

393
00:25:24,640 --> 00:25:27,160
South southeast of the Finnish 
island of Ooto. 

394
00:25:27,800 --> 00:25:31,520
In 1995, the Estonia Agreement 
was signed by the governments of

395
00:25:31,520 --> 00:25:37,200
Estonia, Finland, Sweden, 
Russia, Denmark, Latvia and the 

396
00:25:37,200 --> 00:25:39,360
United Kingdom, promising not 
to. 

397
00:25:39,360 --> 00:25:42,240
Disturb or explore the. 
Wreck, considering it a grave 

398
00:25:42,240 --> 00:25:44,600
site. 
The sinking of the Estonia has 

399
00:25:44,600 --> 00:25:46,480
also come with conspiracy 
theories. 

400
00:25:47,120 --> 00:25:50,320
In 2004, the former head. 
Of customs in Stockholm. 

401
00:25:50,640 --> 00:25:53,760
Leonard Henrickson openly stated
that he had. 

402
00:25:53,760 --> 00:25:56,680
Personally witnessed smuggled 
Russian items being unloaded in 

403
00:25:56,680 --> 00:26:00,120
Stockholm and being instructed 
to quote let them through. 

404
00:26:00,720 --> 00:26:03,440
A subsequent Swedish 
investigation found at least two

405
00:26:03,440 --> 00:26:06,240
such shipments were carried 
aboard the Estonia prior to her 

406
00:26:06,240 --> 00:26:10,160
sinking on September 14th and 
20th, 1994. 

407
00:26:11,080 --> 00:26:14,680
A 2005 report by the British 
magazine The New Statesman 

408
00:26:14,680 --> 00:26:17,200
published a theory that the 
Estonia had suffered an 

409
00:26:17,200 --> 00:26:20,880
explosion. 
In the article, a retired MI Six

410
00:26:20,880 --> 00:26:24,840
officer told the Statesman the 
sinking of the Estonia was not 

411
00:26:24,840 --> 00:26:27,640
an accident. 
Britain and the Baltic nations 

412
00:26:27,640 --> 00:26:29,640
had good reason to want the 
wreck buried. 

413
00:26:30,520 --> 00:26:33,360
According to this source the. 
Estonia was being used to 

414
00:26:33,360 --> 00:26:37,360
smuggle stolen Russian military 
equipment in that MI 6 had 

415
00:26:37,360 --> 00:26:40,400
stored a missile guidance system
on board the ship the night it 

416
00:26:40,400 --> 00:26:44,120
sank. 
In 2000, American Greg Bemis 

417
00:26:44,120 --> 00:26:46,920
traveled on a German ship to the
wreck site and LED a dive 

418
00:26:46,920 --> 00:26:49,760
expedition. 
Germany had not signed the 

419
00:26:49,760 --> 00:26:51,920
agreement, and he hoped to avoid
any trouble. 

420
00:26:52,920 --> 00:26:56,440
He and his expedition found and 
filmed a large hole near the bow

421
00:26:56,440 --> 00:27:00,320
of the Estonia and they cut away
pieces of metal to be examined. 

422
00:27:01,160 --> 00:27:03,520
The metal was examined. 
In the United States and in 

423
00:27:03,520 --> 00:27:06,040
Germany concluding. 
The results show. 

424
00:27:06,040 --> 00:27:08,200
Changes to the metal. 
Similar to those seen. 

425
00:27:08,200 --> 00:27:11,640
By high detonation velocity. 
This report. 

426
00:27:11,640 --> 00:27:14,480
Added to the witness statements 
of illegal shipments of stolen 

427
00:27:14,480 --> 00:27:16,640
Russian military. 
Equipment led many to. 

428
00:27:16,640 --> 00:27:18,960
Believe that something more 
sinister had happened to the 

429
00:27:18,960 --> 00:27:24,520
Estonia in 2019. 
Swedes Henrik Evertsen and Linus

430
00:27:24,520 --> 00:27:26,680
Anderson. 
Used a remotely operated. 

431
00:27:26,680 --> 00:27:29,080
Underwater camera to film the 
wreck of the Estonia. 

432
00:27:29,960 --> 00:27:33,080
Their documentary series 
Estonia, The Discovery That 

433
00:27:33,080 --> 00:27:37,240
Changes Everything was released 
on Swedish television in 2020. 

434
00:27:37,720 --> 00:27:41,880
The film showed footage of a. 
Hole 4 meters long by 1.2 meters

435
00:27:41,880 --> 00:27:45,560
wide at its widest point. 
The two men were prosecuted in 

436
00:27:45,560 --> 00:27:47,240
Sweden for disturbing the wreck 
site. 

437
00:27:47,520 --> 00:27:49,480
But were later acquitted because
they traveled. 

438
00:27:49,480 --> 00:27:52,160
On a German ship and we're in 
international waters. 

439
00:27:52,760 --> 00:27:56,760
However, on September 7th, 2022.
Just days before the. 

440
00:27:56,760 --> 00:28:00,000
Recording of this podcast. 
Anderson and Everton were found 

441
00:28:00,000 --> 00:28:02,120
guilty in a retrial for 
violating. 

442
00:28:02,120 --> 00:28:05,040
The gravesite of the. 
Estonia, the court ruled that 

443
00:28:05,040 --> 00:28:08,040
the two men must pay fines. 
Proportional to their income. 

444
00:28:08,400 --> 00:28:10,080
Everton. 
Who was the production? 

445
00:28:10,080 --> 00:28:12,840
Manager of the film. 
Was fined an additional. 2000. 

446
00:28:12,840 --> 00:28:15,920
Dollars while Anderson, who 
managed the diving equipment, 

447
00:28:15,920 --> 00:28:20,440
was fined 1000. $800. 
The head of an Estonian inquiry,

448
00:28:20,520 --> 00:28:23,000
Margus Kerm. 
Released a statement following 

449
00:28:23,000 --> 00:28:27,840
his investigation in 2009, 
Estonia did not sink because of 

450
00:28:27,840 --> 00:28:30,160
a bowel visor breaking. 
It was a collision with 

451
00:28:30,160 --> 00:28:33,680
something large enough to create
a 4m long hole in the ship's. 

452
00:28:33,680 --> 00:28:35,880
Hull. 
Considering that the tear. 

453
00:28:35,880 --> 00:28:37,760
Is below the. 
Waterline and None. 

454
00:28:37,760 --> 00:28:39,360
Of the survivors have said they 
saw a. 

455
00:28:39,360 --> 00:28:41,480
Ship close to Estonia. 
The most? 

456
00:28:41,480 --> 00:28:44,480
Likely cause is Estonia. 
Collided with a submarine. 

457
00:28:45,320 --> 00:28:48,280
The question is, what was a 
submarine doing on Estonia's 

458
00:28:48,280 --> 00:28:50,880
route? 
Another Estonian government 

459
00:28:50,880 --> 00:28:54,280
report states that the Estonia 
could not have sunk as quickly 

460
00:28:54,280 --> 00:28:56,920
as she did and must have 
suffered something like a 

461
00:28:56,920 --> 00:29:01,800
collision with a rock bed. 
In 2021, the Estonian Safety 

462
00:29:01,800 --> 00:29:05,040
Investigation Bureau and the 
Swedish Accident Investigation 

463
00:29:05,040 --> 00:29:08,280
Board released information 
showing the size of the hole 

464
00:29:08,280 --> 00:29:10,200
along the starboard side of the 
Estonia. 

465
00:29:10,320 --> 00:29:12,600
Was actually at least. 40 meters
long. 

466
00:29:12,880 --> 00:29:14,520
Almost. 
Twice what was previously. 

467
00:29:14,520 --> 00:29:18,800
Believed the surviving crew and 
passengers and the families. 

468
00:29:18,800 --> 00:29:22,120
Of those who died, all received.
Compensation from S line. 

469
00:29:23,360 --> 00:29:25,680
Close relatives of those who. 
Died in the sinking. 

470
00:29:26,120 --> 00:29:27,840
Have. 
Formed a foundation called Mare 

471
00:29:27,840 --> 00:29:32,320
Librium to investigate and 
hopefully find answers due to 

472
00:29:32,320 --> 00:29:33,560
the. 
Heavy loss of life. 

473
00:29:33,800 --> 00:29:36,920
The sinking of the Estonia is 
considered one of the worst 

474
00:29:36,920 --> 00:29:39,320
maritime disasters of the 20th 
century. 

475
00:30:46,520 --> 00:30:48,400
As promised at the. 
Top of this episode. 

476
00:30:48,520 --> 00:30:50,840
I want to tell you about the 
recently released supplemental 

477
00:30:50,840 --> 00:30:53,800
Accident Investigation report 
regarding MV Estonia. 

478
00:30:54,760 --> 00:30:58,360
The report is over. 200 pages 
in, extremely detailed, but I'll

479
00:30:58,360 --> 00:31:02,480
summarize the relevant findings.
The original investigation took 

480
00:31:02,480 --> 00:31:07,240
place from 1994 through 1997 by 
the Joint Accident Investigation

481
00:31:07,240 --> 00:31:09,680
Commission of Estonia, Finland 
and Sweden. 

482
00:31:10,520 --> 00:31:14,520
In 2020, Monster Media Group 
Limited produced new video 

483
00:31:14,520 --> 00:31:17,720
evidence from the wreck of the 
Estonia showing a breach in the 

484
00:31:17,720 --> 00:31:21,160
vessel starboard hull. 
This was unknown at the time of 

485
00:31:21,160 --> 00:31:24,120
the original investigation and 
was not included in the 

486
00:31:24,120 --> 00:31:27,120
evidence. 
With this new video evidence, 

487
00:31:27,120 --> 00:31:30,120
the Estonian Safety 
Investigation Bureau initiated A

488
00:31:30,120 --> 00:31:33,640
preliminary assessment. 
Their objectives, in summary, 

489
00:31:33,640 --> 00:31:37,120
were to identify the cause of 
the breach to determine if the 

490
00:31:37,120 --> 00:31:39,280
original conclusions needed. 
To be updated. 

491
00:31:39,560 --> 00:31:43,120
Determine if new investigative 
measures are needed and assess 

492
00:31:43,120 --> 00:31:45,960
whether the safety investigation
into the wreck should be 

493
00:31:45,960 --> 00:31:49,160
reopened. 
The Finland Safety Investigation

494
00:31:49,160 --> 00:31:52,200
Authority and the Swedish 
Accident Investigation Authority

495
00:31:52,240 --> 00:31:55,200
were invited and they agreed to 
assist with the investigation. 

496
00:31:56,040 --> 00:31:59,160
The wreck site itself fell 
within the exclusive economic 

497
00:31:59,160 --> 00:32:03,000
zone of Finland, making it the 
designated coastal state, and 

498
00:32:03,000 --> 00:32:05,920
Sweden was named as a 
substantially interested state 

499
00:32:06,160 --> 00:32:11,680
due to 501 of the 852 fatalities
being Swedish nationals. 

500
00:32:13,080 --> 00:32:15,760
Any investigation of the wreck 
site was going to require 

501
00:32:15,760 --> 00:32:18,880
changes to both Swedish and 
Finnish laws, as the site had 

502
00:32:18,880 --> 00:32:21,640
been considered a protective 
grave site monitored and 

503
00:32:21,640 --> 00:32:25,200
enforced by Finland. 
After successful amendments to 

504
00:32:25,200 --> 00:32:27,600
these laws, the investigation 
began in July. 

505
00:32:27,600 --> 00:32:30,440
Of 2021. 
With surveys of the seabed 

506
00:32:30,440 --> 00:32:34,880
surrounding the wreck, 
geological data, turbidity and 

507
00:32:34,880 --> 00:32:38,120
salinity measurements were also 
taken, and a remotely operated 

508
00:32:38,120 --> 00:32:41,400
vehicle was deployed to capture 
video of the entire wreck site. 

509
00:32:42,440 --> 00:32:44,560
A debris trail from the. 
Estonia was found. 

510
00:32:44,680 --> 00:32:47,720
With various items identified, 
including a portion of the 

511
00:32:47,720 --> 00:32:50,680
starboard ramp railing, the 
outward deck railing, and the 

512
00:32:50,680 --> 00:32:54,160
helicopter deck railing, the 
debris trail assisted in 

513
00:32:54,160 --> 00:32:56,920
creating an updated prediction 
of the course the ship took as 

514
00:32:56,920 --> 00:33:00,480
it was sinking, which resulted 
in an elongated fish hook type 

515
00:33:00,480 --> 00:33:06,600
path before going down. 
In 2022, a detailed 3D model was

516
00:33:06,600 --> 00:33:09,920
created of the wreck using more 
than 45,000 photos. 

517
00:33:11,680 --> 00:33:14,360
The ship itself was found to be 
lying overturned on its 

518
00:33:14,360 --> 00:33:18,120
starboard side against a rocky 
ledge at approximately a 45° 

519
00:33:18,120 --> 00:33:20,440
angle. 
Previous mud slides. 

520
00:33:20,440 --> 00:33:22,360
At the wreck were. 
Detected and it was determined 

521
00:33:22,360 --> 00:33:24,800
the ship had shifted several 
times from its original 

522
00:33:24,800 --> 00:33:28,320
position. 
Of particular interest was the 

523
00:33:28,320 --> 00:33:31,160
starboard hall breach recorded 
in the 2020 video. 

524
00:33:32,200 --> 00:33:35,280
Inspection of the breach 
indicated a 25 meter long 

525
00:33:35,280 --> 00:33:38,040
indentation in the starboard 
hall with breeches to the 

526
00:33:38,040 --> 00:33:40,560
interior at each end of the 
indentation. 

527
00:33:41,240 --> 00:33:44,360
The length of the damage matches
the rocky ledge that the ship 

528
00:33:44,360 --> 00:33:47,120
rests against, and samples from 
the hull and samples from the 

529
00:33:47,120 --> 00:33:50,400
forward end of the damage showed
it had not been caused by any 

530
00:33:50,400 --> 00:33:54,840
collision or explosives. 
Some of the ship's parts were 

531
00:33:54,840 --> 00:33:58,120
recovered, including portions of
the bow ramp railing and the bow

532
00:33:58,120 --> 00:34:01,280
ramp itself. 
By analyzing these parts, it was

533
00:34:01,280 --> 00:34:03,400
determined that they were torn 
away from the ship. 

534
00:34:03,400 --> 00:34:07,240
By force. 
Additional calculations indicate

535
00:34:07,240 --> 00:34:10,440
that the ingress of water into 
the car deck after the bowel 

536
00:34:10,440 --> 00:34:14,000
visor was lost would cause the 
severe list and subsequent 

537
00:34:14,000 --> 00:34:16,679
sinking, consistent with how the
Estonia sank. 

538
00:34:17,440 --> 00:34:20,840
The report also states that the 
ingress of water likely began 

539
00:34:20,840 --> 00:34:26,840
earlier than what was reported 
in the original 1997 report. 68 

540
00:34:26,840 --> 00:34:30,760
of the 137 survivors were 
interviewed, one of whom had 

541
00:34:30,760 --> 00:34:32,719
never been interviewed regarding
the accident. 

542
00:34:33,960 --> 00:34:36,040
None of the witnesses. 
Reported the ship having. 

543
00:34:36,040 --> 00:34:37,920
Any hull damage prior to the 
accident? 

544
00:34:38,639 --> 00:34:41,520
Only a few. 
Of the 60. 8 believed military 

545
00:34:41,520 --> 00:34:43,560
vehicles had been loaded into 
the car deck. 

546
00:34:44,840 --> 00:34:47,320
The conclusions of the joint 
investigation site. 

547
00:34:47,320 --> 00:34:50,159
No evidence of any damage. 
Caused by explosion. 

548
00:34:50,440 --> 00:34:54,639
Or a collision on the surface, 
the reports final statement 

549
00:34:54,639 --> 00:34:57,360
reads. 
It can be concluded with 

550
00:34:57,360 --> 00:35:01,000
confidence that MV Estonia sank 
due to the failure of the bow 

551
00:35:01,000 --> 00:35:03,800
structure and that the new 
damage on the starboard side 

552
00:35:03,800 --> 00:35:07,560
resulted from contact with the. 
Seabed, therefore there is. 

553
00:35:07,560 --> 00:35:10,760
No need to reopen the safety 
investigation of the accident of

554
00:35:10,760 --> 00:35:15,000
MV Estonia. 
This joint investigation will 

555
00:35:15,000 --> 00:35:17,920
seemingly put an end to the 
controversies and conspiracy 

556
00:35:17,920 --> 00:35:20,480
theories surrounding the tragic 
sinking of the Estonia. 

557
00:35:21,960 --> 00:35:25,000
All of the information included 
in this update comes from the 

558
00:35:25,000 --> 00:35:29,240
publication titled Final Report 
of Preliminary Assessment of New

559
00:35:29,240 --> 00:35:33,040
Findings on MV Estonia Accident 
issued by the Republic of 

560
00:35:33,040 --> 00:35:35,000
Estonia Safety Investigation 
Bureau. 

561
00:35:36,480 --> 00:35:37,920
I hope you've enjoyed this 
updated. 

562
00:35:37,920 --> 00:35:40,520
Retelling of the. 
Tragedy of the MV Estonia. 

563
00:35:40,760 --> 00:35:44,160
Thank you so much for listening.
Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs is 

564
00:35:44,160 --> 00:35:47,200
written, edited and produced by 
me Rich Napolitano. 

565
00:35:47,920 --> 00:35:50,040
Original theme music is by Sean 
Siegfried. 

566
00:35:50,040 --> 00:35:52,680
And you can find him. 
At seansiegfried.com. 

567
00:35:53,280 --> 00:35:56,560
All episodes, show notes and 
show merchandise can be found at

568
00:35:56,560 --> 00:36:00,200
Shipwrecks and seadogs.com. 
Please join me again next time. 

569
00:36:00,680 --> 00:36:05,760
But until then, don't forget. 
To wear your life. 

570
00:36:05,760 --> 00:36:06,360
Jackets.