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A. New Evidence

1. The AgnEf Seminar on 29/30.05.2000 in Stockholm

1.2.2 The preventer wires for the ramp - Page 2

“Here we can see the shackle in a close-up. On the video (8) the diver is working near the ramp. He tries to reach a cable sent down from the surface and in order to do so he uses the preventer wire to hang on to. The wire is complete with shackle and shackle-bolt in place.
It has not detached from the ramp as stated by the JAIC as evidence that the ramp fell down to the little forepeak deck in front of the ramp. It must have been detached manually as the shackle-bolt has been put back into the shackle. “

The shackle used by the diver to reach equipment

Note: The pictures on the previous page are taken from the second official ROV video made on 09.10.94. They also show the bolt screwed into the shackle which can only be done manually. Since also the lug at the bow ramp, to which the shackle was normally attached, was found to be intact – see page 861 of our Report – it has to be concluded, that the starboard preventer was either not fitted to the lug upon departure or disconnected before 09.10.94.

“Here we can see the starboard and port side lugs on the ramp, where the preventer wires used to be mounted. They are both undamaged, which prove that at least the starboard preventer wire that we have found undamaged with the bolt in place, did not detach from the ramp. It is of course extremely unfortunate that central evidence used to prove the JAIC’s only scenario again proves to be incorrect.”

The preventer wire lugs on the ramp

Note: Unfortunately the port preventer wire cannot be seen in full length because only its upper part is visibly shackled to the lug at the port entrance to the car deck. The lug at the ramp is intact. Wires, lugs and shackles were dimensioned to catch the falling ramp in case of failure of the hydraulic actuator.