In August 2001 the German TV journalist Jutta Rabe organised a further diving and ROV inspection of the wreck of the ESTONIA and its surroundings which was financed by Focus-TV and a Dutch insurance company being the liability underwriters of the Dutch contractors of Sjöfartsverket for the sand-fill and cover operation in 1996. They wanted the southeast edge of the sand-fill area to be filmed by ROV and Focus-TV wanted new video footage from the wreck.
Some of the amateur divers having participated already in the expedition in August 2000 and one ROV operator plus equipment left Warnemünde on 19.08.01 together with Jutta Rabe and a representative from the insurance company onboard of the M. V. “Godewind”. After some engine problems and bad weather they arrived only on 22.08.01 at 16.00 hours at the wreck position. Their presence had been reported by the Swedish TT-News already on the previous night at 24.00 hours, thus the Swedish and Finnish media were aware of what was going on.
Upon arrival they were welcomed by the Finnish Coast Guard vessel “Tursas” – this time friendly and also the Swedish Coast Guard came later.

To the question: “What are you looking for this time?” came the answer: “We forgot something last year, which we want to recover.”

Indeed the divers had forgotten to take up the radioactivity measuring device which was hanging at the bow ramp and was brought up this time. Sometime was spent with filming the SE edge of the sand-fill area, where, however, no sliding down of sand fill was found. Some time was spent on the wreck, but the footage produced has not yet been published, therefore no images can be shown in this Report. There is anyway not much to be shown and the results of this expedition can be summarised as follows:

(1) Since the divers were at the wreck only 20 minutes which were used to recover the measuring device and to fasten some sign to the bow ramp there was no time for useful investigations.

(2) The wreck appears to have turned further in the upside down position and does apparently slide down the slope at its – lower – starboard side.

(3) The radioactivity measuring device was recovered.

(4) The sand fill around the foreship extending in August 2000 some 30 m aft was practically gone, which allows the conclusion that the sand found to be piled up, rather thick and massive, in way of the foreship had not been there since 1996 but was filled up later. This had also already been concluded by the soil mechanic expert Dr. Jan Laue from the Technical University, Zürich – see Chapter 12 of this Update

The media interest in Germany was rather limited and, as a matter of fact, only the “Ostsee Zeitung” wrote a small article.
In Sweden and Finland this was different and details about the expedition were reported by radio, TV and print media rather extensively.

»German trawler left ‘Estonia’ last night, the German trawler ‘Godewind’ with Jutta Rabe on board left the wreck place of ‘Estonia’ late last night after picking up expensive equipment since last visit and new photos taken. This visit is now well documented by Coast Guard for handing over to Police and Authorities.
Because ‘Estonia’ is lying in international waters and Germany did not sign the grave peace treaty the Finnish and Swedish authorities have intervened.«