21.3.3
Reports from Deck 5

Only in the forward third of this deck passenger cabins were arranged. In the middle was the large Tax-Free Shop, the Boutiques were at starboard side as well as the Pub Admiral, also called the Karaoke Bar. On port side there was the Arcade, with the Playroom and in the aft part Café Neptunus. Considerable modifications had been carried out on this deck in comparison to the newbuilding condition. The drawing attached after this page shows the location of the cabins of the survivors from this deck:

Birgit Eriksson - cabin 5229 - 1st cabin on port side in front of accommodation (overlooking forecastle) Enclosure 21.3.3.317:

• at about 23.00 hours the vessel began to move and labour heavily in the seas;
• woke up from noises like that of steel plates knocking against steel plates;
• after these steel-to-steel noises the vessel heeled heavily to starboard, her husband caught her from falling out of bed.
• the direction where the noises came from was forward.

Sten Jolind - cabin 5135 - first outside cabin, port side, forward - Enclosure 21.3.3.318:

• was on deck 7 several times and looked over the foreship; heard heavy bangs and thought that the vessel was going much too fast;
• at 00.00 hours to bed;
• before 01.00 hours 2-3 really heavy bangs from forward; got up and dressed;
• when he had just opened the door the vessel heeled abruptly and widely to starboard and everything slid against the door;
• at first no one was in the alleyways;
• the vessel heeled stepwise.

Leif Bogren - cabin 5128 - port inside, 4th cabin from forward - Protocol 01.10.94 - Enclosure 20.242:

• to bed at 23.30 hours (Swedish time);
• vessel behaved like a small boat also does when slamming over the waves - explains the many noises created by a vessel proceeding against heavy seas;
• so he was lying there and listened and suddenly there was the bom-bom, which was no more the same noise, it was not a good noise;
• he continued lying still and listening, and was fascinated about why they were proceeding so fast?
• from the time he went to bed to the first unusual noise bom-bom to when the engines stopped maybe 10-15 minutes had passed, i.e. it was 23.40/23.45 hours Swedish time;
• at first there was an additional sound with this bom - an enormous bom-bom - then came bom;
• he was lying awake and then came the next BOM.
  This was definitely a different noise, now the sea was higher and they were proceeding slowly against it and then came the next VROM BOM, now they were smashing in the hull plates of the vessel and then there was also a CRASH.
• Now they must go down to half speed was his next thought, and the engines stopped.
• Had they reduced to half ahead he would not have felt uneasy, but to stop the engines? Engines are not stopped from full ahead and at that time the vessel had not yet started to heel to starboard.
• Ca. 1 minute after the engines had stopped the vessel heeled to starboard (20°).
• It took him ca. 5 min. to reach deck 7 (2 decks up) and then the vessel had a list of already ca. 45°.

  Note: The vessel was fitted with 2 pitch propellers which could be controlled either directly or via the combinator. - See Subchapter 2.5.3 - In all probability the engines and the pitch propellers were working in the combinator mode, i.e. in case the speed was reduced from full to slow ahead the pitch and the propeller revolutions were reduced simultaneously. Based on experience a passenger in a cabin or in some restaurant could normally notice a pitch change only by a change of vibration. If, for example, the pitch was reduced to maintain a speed of 6 kn, the vibration level would more or less totally disappear in the passenger cabin and the passenger had the impression that the engines did stop.

Additional Protocol of 02.10.94 (is attached to his statement):

• Bogren has in the course of his working life also worked at a shipyard and is therefore acquainted with metallic noises. He is also to a certain extent acquainted with the sea as he has a pleasure boat.
• Bogren described the sound like someone beating with a sledge hammer against vessel's shell plating or hull. He noticed the noise three times within 2 minutes.
• He had the impression that the noises came from forward, port side and from below.
• Bogren stated that the vessel did not roll, but was pitching against the waves.

Summary of the reports in his book: "Therefore I Survived the 'Estonia' Catastrophe"

• normal cracking/banging noises of a vessel in heavy weather.
• at 00.00 hours was on the 8th deck and looked onto the forecastle, saw fantastic water cascades, speed was too high under the circumstances.
• at 00.30 hours to bed. * at ca. 00.40/45 hours suddenly heard low metallic banging noises.
• 30-60 seconds later one bang; after another 40-60 seconds a tremendously loud metallic bang (hull plate smashed in).
• 1-2 minutes later engines stopped.
• 1-2 minutes later sudden heel to starboard -ca. 00.55 hours - when he was already on way up to deck 7.
• it took him about 5 minutes to reach deck 7, then the heel was already 45°.

Håkan Ekstedt - cabin 5205 - port inside, aft - Enclosure 21.3.3.320:

• went to bed before 01.00 hours when the vessel was heavily pitching;
• woke up at ca. 01.20 hours when the vessel heeled to starboard and everything moved to the deep side.

Leja Kozareva - in toilet near Pub Admiral - Enclosure 21.3.3.321:

Hannu Seppänen - deck 5, Tax Free Shop area - Enclosure 17.2.227:

• at ca. 24.00 ship's time he went to the Night Club on deck 4, but sat outside watching the sea/storm;
• some time later he felt an unusual shaking/vibrating in the vessel's hull, these shocks were really shaking the vessel and he felt uneasy thinking about whether the trucks were really well secured;
• he decided to go to his cabin and walked up to deck 5, had a brief look into the Karaoke Bar and continued to his cabin;
• when he was in the area of the tax-free shop the vessel suddenly heeled to (port) to 15°, 10 seconds later the listing continued and stopped and continued immediately thereafter further to 40°.

Rein Vaaske - deck 5 - Sleeping Room - Enclosure 17.2.231:

• after 00.00 hours hard bang from the middle of the ferry;
• after 5-7 minutes heel to starboard to 15°-20°;
• crew member showed up who was under shock.

Siegfried Wolf - 5th deck - near Tax Free Shop - Enclosure 21.3.3.322:

• ca. 10 minutes before the big heel there was a first shock through the vessel;
• next came the main shock and everything flew/slid to the deep side - the engines stopped.

Georg Sörensen - 5th deck, starboard cabin - Enclosure 21.3.3.323:

• saw through the window and felt that the vessel had heeled;
• there were two major shocks in the vessel and the big heel to starboard occurred.

Paul Siht - 5th deck, near the slot machines - Enclosure 21.3.3.324:

• vessel heeled suddenly to starboard and he rushed to the 7th deck.

Paul Barney - in the Café Neptunus - Enclosure 21.3.3.325:

• woke up from a bang/shock and thought there had been a collision;
• then he heard cracking and scraping noises and something was gliding along the vessel's hull side;
• he got up to look what was going on when the vessel suddenly heeled very widely to starboard and the furniture moved to the deep side.

Sarah Hedrenius - in the Café Neptunus - Enclosure 21.3.3.326:

• asleep since ca. 21.30 hours, but felt the hard movements;
• woke up from two heavy bangs which made the vessel shake (she thought they had hit a rock), vessel moved up and down;
• she fell almost back to sleep, but not for long when the big heel occurred and she knew that it was very serious now;
• made it to the 7th deck where she met Kent Härstedt;
• at first the stern appeared to be higher than the bow and they started to walk aft, when the situation changed and the bow went up and the stern down.

 

The now following summaries of statements refer to the survivors from the "Pub Admiral", also called the "Karaoke Bar" since Karaoke was performed there.

Pierre Thiger - Admiral's Pub on deck 5 - together with Altti Hakanpää - Statement taken on 03.10.94 - Enclosure 21.3.3.327:

• ca. 23.45 hours (Swedish time) = 00.45 hours ship's time he heard a dull bang and ca. 1/2 minute later a similar bang, these were really sharp and short sounds which he clearly heard in spite of the music. The vessel was shaking somewhat. The noises were not created by waves striking against the bow;
• ca. 3 minutes after he had heard the mentioned noises he felt that the vessel was swinging/rocking athwartships not just from side to side. He was very surprised about the behaviour of the vessel.
• these swinging movements repeated themselves 3-4 times, simultaneously the vessel was shaking somewhat;
• Pierre Thiger has spent some time at sea and has experience with the behaviour of large vessels, therefore he observed rather closely the behaviour of ESTONIA.
• ca. 10 minutes after he had heard the before mentioned noises the vessel began to roll from side to side, and thereafter remained with a starboard list of 10°-15°;
• the vessel did not return to normal;
• he is of the opinion that it was some minutes before 24.00 hours (Swedish time) when the vessel took the first heavy starboard list;
• they left the bar immediately and when they reached the exit the vessel heeled further to ca. 30°, at which she steadied;
• the only crew member they saw was carrying a walkie-talkie or the like;
• when he reached deck 7 the heel was ca. 35°, increasing;
• at ca. 45° the lights went out, but returned.

In June 1997 it was finally possible for a member of this 'Group of Experts' to talk to Pierre Thiger personally.
The result is stated below:

»On the night of the casualty he had not been out on deck, but watched the sea state through the windows, the speed of the "Estonia" was highly excessive under the circumstances, as a matter of fact Pierre Thiger has never before or thereafter experienced that a vessel was smashed so hard into heavy headseas, each time the bow smashed into the sea, the vessel almost stopped, was shaking and vibrating and then accelerated again until it smashed into the next wave and so on, in addition to this very hard pitching, she was rolling, always more to starboard than to port, because he remembers having to continuously hold himself to the bar with one hand (for the last hour or so he was sitting together with Altti Hakanpää in the Admiral's Pub on 5th deck) to avoid his bar stool tilting over to starboard.
According to his observations the sequence-of-events started 10-15 minutes before midnight (Swedish time) when he heard 3 bangs with 15-20 seconds in between, metal to metal and thought it was a collision, the ship was shaking and vibrating differently than before, shortly afterwards he noted that she was pitching more, but made much slower and deeper movements, there were no more bangs but suddenly he felt vibrations in the aft ship which made him think that they had turned the stern into the sea and the pitch was on astern, he could not see anything out of the window, he felt the vibrations from the propeller (glasses were clinking) and then he heard the strange noise: A very low noise and simultaneously the pitch movements stopped as if a wave had struck under the stern, then all vibrations stopped and in the same second she continued to pitch again, however, without any engine noise, for about one minute she was only pitching, then pitching and rolling, and then only rolling - she made two full swings - more to starboard, less to port, and the third time she heeled over deep to starboard, did not right up again and then fell abruptly to about 40°/45°, this was just before midnight (Swedish time), she came back to almost upright position and then heeled to about 10°/15° and further heeled to about 40°/45° when she stabilised herself for at least 10 probably 12 minutes, whereafter she continued to heel from 45° to 90° relatively quickly before she was fully on the side, the funnel smashed a couple of times on the waves;
when he had reached the outside of the 7th deck, the list was about 40°, wind and sea were coming abeam from starboard and at port side, 5-6 points aft of abeam there were lights, after they had been on deck for sometime already and the list had slowly increased to about 45°, the lights went out, but immediately thereafter came back, all this was within the ca. 10-12 minute phase, when the ferry had stabilised herself at a heel of 40°-45°.
He was subsequently picked-up by SILJA SYMPHONY and came ashore at Helsinki, where he was interrogated for the first time but does not have a copy of the protocol. In Stockholm he was subsequently questioned again by the Swedish police and by Olof Forsberg from the JAIC. «

The respective memo is attached as Enclosure 21.3.3.319. Only recently the statement of Pierre Thiger taken by Olof Forsberg on 14.10.94 was received and is attached as Enclosure 21.3.3.319.1. See also Subchapter 21.8 - Other Observations.

Juuse Veljo - Enclosure 20.245:

• at 22.30 hours felt some roll movements although vessel had been pitching all the time;
• at the same time - not long - before the big heel to starboard - glasses suddenly toppled over in the bar;
• then the vessel heeled widely to starboard and he rushed up to deck 7;
• when he was on the outside of the hull on the way to the water he heard pumping noises inside.

Note: At that time the emergency generator must still have been running which was providing power to the following installations:

- navigation apparatuses, navigating lights, day light, radar, gyro- and autopilot, typhoon
- emergency lighting
- alarm system
- gyro compass
- radio
- CO2-fan (engine room evac. fan)
- lift motors
- certain fans
- one steering gear pump
- fire pump
- sprinkler pump
- emergency bilge pump
- intercommunication
- loudspeaker system
- one hydraulic pump for stern ramp
Consequently it has to be assumed that Juuse Veljo heard the running fire-, sprinkler- or emergency bilge pumps.

Ronnie Bergqvist - Policeman ST Section - Enclosure 21.3.3.328:

• vessel started to shake and vibrate;
• bar personnel took down the bottles from the shelves;
• just after 01.00 hours the vessel heeled first to port, then followed a very hard push combined with a bang/crash and then the vessel heeled very severely to starboard.
• all loose objects flew over to the deep side.

Karin Bergqvist - Enclosure 21.3.3.329:

• made no comments in connection with the movements of the vessel.

Maria Fägersten - Policewoman ST Section - Enclosure 21.3.3.330:

• heavy pitching all the time;
• at about midnight the vessel ran against something and she and all the others were looking out of the windows but could see nothing;
• then the vessel started to shake/vibrate;
• at 00.45 hours the casualty sequence-of-events began, glasses above the bar fell out of their holdings;
• suddenly everything flew over to one side when the vessel heeled over very rapidly, people were thrown against the wall - she was able to hold on to the bar: "The ship came over me!" - The clock above the bar showed 01.05 hours.

Tomas Grunde - Statoil - Enclosure 21.3.3.331:

• at ca. 01.15 hours first bang from forward and the vessel heeled;
• then more heavy bangs from forward and the vessel heeled more.

Kent Härstedt - member of a social team - Enclosure 21.3.3.332:

• was sleeping in his cabin on deck 4;
• ca. 00.00 hours woke up from a "muffled" sound which was nevertheless "heavy" - like something moving from side to side and then crashing against the hull with force;
• felt uneasy and joined his colleagues in the "Pub Admiral";
• after he had been there for ca. 30 minutes the vessel started to shake and roll from side to side, lots of bottles fell out of the shelves;
• the vessel came back to upright position and then heeled again to starboard;
• 45° heel when he reached the 7th deck, where he met Sara Hedrenius.

Altti Hakanpää - private businessman - Enclosure 21.3.3.333:

• when he was still in the restaurant Poseidon - the vessel was twice shaken heavily and the dancing girls fell to the floor;
• a bit later he was in the Karaoke Bar when the vessel suddenly heeled ca. 45° and came back to almost upright condition and then heeled stepwise more and more to starboard;
• he believes that this was at about 01.25 hours.

Lars-Torsten Österberg - Statoil - Enclosure 21.3.3.334:

• rough sea state - it was difficult to walk and it was necessary to always hold on to something;
• at about 01.00 hours the vessel rolled 2-3 times, then heeled wide over to starboard and came back to almost upright condition; * thereafter heeled stepwise relatively quickly to about 30°;
• when he reached deck 7 the heel angle was still about 30°, which subsequently increased to 45° and steadied for quite some time;
• the vessel sank stern first and the last thing he saw was white.

Rolf Sörman - member of social team - Enclosure 21.3.3.335:

• at 19.45 hours they were still in their meeting in a conference room in the starboard aft part of deck 4 when suddenly some sort of pump started below them which made such a noise that they were unable to continue;
• he still heard the rather high noise later on also in other parts of the vessel;
• as from 00.30/00.40 hours he was in Admiral's Pub;
• at about 01.05 hours the vessel heeled slightly to port (as if altering course), came back and a little later heeled very deeply to starboard and water smashed against the window;
• when he was on deck 7 and the heel was already 70-80° he saw two people coming out of some sort of emergency exit in the funnel, the big one of them shouted:
  "... water is coming up from the car deck", they were either Finnish or Estonian crew members;
• it took 35 minutes from the big heel until the vessel was on her side.
  

On 13.11.1999 Rolf Sörman was heard by a member of this 'Group of Experts' and stated, among others, the following (see Enclosure 21.3.3.335.1):

• The conference began only at 17.00 hours Swedish time (ST) and the room was at the starboard side aft.
• He had to give a speech and simultaneously show 7-8 overheads. At some time, when he was still showing overheads, a high whining noise started which apparently came somewhere from below. It was loud but constant at the beginning and he just had to speak in a louder voice.
• He thinks that they had another break after his presentation when the conference hostess was asked to have the machine or pump, creating the disturbing noises, turned off, however, she came back stating that nothing could be done about it.
• The noise changed to on/off, which was even more disturbing and we closed down the conference about 15-20 minutes earlier than planned, i.e. at 20.40/20.45 hours ST. This means that the noise did presumably start at about 20.30 hours ST.
• Dinner at restaurant "SEASIDE" on deck 6, starboard side, was ordered for 21.00 hours ST, but they had to wait some 5-10 minutes before their tables were ready.
• Dinner took probably 11/2 hours and the time was then about 22.30/22.40 hours ST. He still heard the "noise" in the distance.
• After having walked around for some time he met four ladies of his group and they went up to deck 7, port side where the door to the outside was slamming open/closed and the carpet was soaking wet up to the stairs.
• Thereafter they decided to visit the Admiral's Pub which they entered probably 23.40/23.45 hours ST. Also here he heard the "noise".
• Shortly afterwards Sörman felt the change in the vessel's movements because she was now pitching softly and started to roll more. It was much more comfortable then the very hard pitching before and he hoped it would remain like this for the rest of the night.
• After a while near the stage he walked to a sofa in the starboard forward corner. It was then that he felt 2-3 shocks in his feet. These were like blows in the forward/aft direction, somehow like pitching, but different.
• The girls sat on the sofa and he sat on a chair and they continued their discussion when Anita suddenly rose saying she would go to her cabin now. They tried in vain to persuade her to stay and Sörman looked at his watch. It was 23.55 hours ST.
• They continued to discuss a particular course when suddenly the vessel heeled very slowly, but much deeper to starboard. She heeled so far over that they could see water splashing against the windows next to them. Behind the bar all the glasses hanging underneath the ceiling fell on top of the bar lady.
• The vessel came back to more or less upright condition, maybe even a bit to port, but subsequently heeled again and even deeper to starboard. This time all the tables, chairs and whatever else was not solidly fixed rushed to the starboard side.
• The saw again water on the window but the vessel came back again to almost upright condition and they took the chance and rushed to the exit which they managed.
• It was then that he realised that there were no more engine noises, but the lights were on.
• The vessel heeled again to starboard, now stepwise with stable periods in between.
• They rushed up to deck 6 and further to deck 7 where they reached the aft door and managed to get out to the open deck with difficulties.
• They could still walk on the deck, the heel was then probably 30°.

Tåge Hellgren - Policeman from ST Section - Enclosure 21.3.3.336:

• 1st heel to ca. 20°, did not right up, thereafter step by step heel until on the side after 2 minutes;
• light went out after 5-10 minutes and came back;
• after 20 minutes blackout.

Jan Grafström - Policeman from ST Section - Enclosure 21.3.3.337:

• just after 01.00 hrs. severe heel and up to deck 7, 30° heel when he arrived outside.

Urban Lambertsson - Estline employee (booking manager) - Enclosure 21.3.3.338:

• Karaoke Bar;
• had been together with marketing manager Tomas Persson visiting Estline, Tallinn (Marja Brannbrück);
• ca. 01.00 hours strange high noise and vessel heeled slightly to starboard, some glasses fell down;
• ca. 1 minutes later severe heel to starboard.

 

Summary of observations made / noises heard / times realised by passengers/ crew members in the area of the 5th deck

Before and after the starboard heel:

a.) First noises / extraordinary shaking / vibrating of vessel / crash.

b.) Speed reduced / engines reduced / engines stopped.

c.) Several bangs and starboard heel.

d.) Time of starboard heel.

e.) The righting up after the big heel.

 

as to a.) First noises / extraordinary shaking / vibrating of vessel / CRASH.

(1) Heavy bangs believed to result from too fast speed in heavy weather;

(2) vessel behaved like a small boat slamming over the waves;

(3) at about 00.00 hours vessel started to roll, although it had been pitching all the time and a shock was felt like running aground;

(4) after 00.00 hours "muffled" sound which was nevertheless heavy - like something moving from side to side and then crashing against the hull;

(5) at about 00.40/45 hours heavy banging noises - metal-to-metal and the vessel was shaking;

(6) some time before the big heel unusual shaking/vibrating in vessel's hull;

(7) ca. 10 minutes before the big heel the first shock ran through the vessel;

(8) at ca. 00.45 hours one dull bang and ca. 1/2 minute later another one of the sharp, short sounds and the vessel was somewhat shaking;

(9) at 00.45 hours the casualty sequence-of-events began with shocks in the vessel and the glasses hanging in holdings above the bar fell down;

(10) the vessel was twice shaken very heavily and the dancing girls in the Restaurant Poseidon fell to the floor.

In summary of the above item a.) it has to be concluded that

- at about 00.00 hours the vessel was rolling for a while instead of pitching and seemed to strike against something like running aground;

- at 00.40/45 hours there were three heavy banging noises heard and shocks/vibrations felt, it was - metal-to-metal - the vessel was shaking / vibrating;

- ca. 00.45 hours there were two dull, sharp bangs;

- it was generally felt that the casualty sequence-of-events commenced at ca. 00.45 hours.

 

as to b.) Speed reduced / engines reduced / engines stopped.

(1) After the three heavy banging noises the engines stopped;

(2) after the three heavy banging noises she was pitching much slower and more deeply - feeling as if the vessel turned - propeller vibrations were still being felt - but 0-pitch;

(3) after the big heels the engines were not heard or felt anymore.

 

as to c.) Several bangs and starboard heel.

(1) Noises like steel plates knocking against steel plates and the vessel heeled heavily to starboard;

(2) before 01.00 hours 2-3 really heavy bangs; the vessel heeled wide to starboard;

(3) two heavy bangs and one CRASH and about 1 minute later the vessel heeled to starboard;

(4) at about 01.00 hours hard bangs from the middle of the ferry, after 5-7 minutes starboard heel;

(5) there were two major shocks in the vessel and the big heel occurred;

(6) there was a bang/shock as if there had been a collision, then cracking and scraping noises were heard and then the vessel suddenly heeled very wide to starboard;

(7) two heavy bangs made the vessel shake as if hit by a rock, vessel moved up and down (pitching), shortly afterwards the big heel occurred;

(8) vibrations in the aftship and from the propeller - very strange, low noise, pitching movements and all vibrations stopped and in the same second pitching started again but without engine noises - ca. 1 minute pitching - then pitching and rolling and then only rolling - 2 full swings - deeper to starboard, less to port, then deep to starboard - no righting up - then abruptly to 40°-50°, came back to almost upright condition and subsequently heel 10°-15° to starboard;

(9) the vessel started to shake and vibrate and the bar personnel took the bottles down from the shelves, just after 01.00 hours the vessel heeled first to port, then followed a very hard push connected with a bang/crash and the vessel heeled very wide to starboard.

In summary of the above item c.) it has to be concluded that

- before the big heel at about 01.00 hours there were heavy knocking noises, bangs, a CRASH followed by cracking/scraping along vessel's hull, possibly bottom, vibrating and shaking of the vessel;

- it felt like a collision or hitting a rock;

- vessel's movements changed from pitching, to pitching/rolling and to rolling, whereafter the two big heels occurred and the vessel righted up again but subsequently fell again to starboard.

as to d.) Time of starboard heel.

(1) just after 01.00 hours.

(2) ca. 00.55 hours (twice)

(3) about 01.20 hours/01.25 hours

(4) about 01.07/10 hours

(5) just after 01.00 hours

(6) ca. 01.15 hours

(7) at about 01.00 hours

(8) at about 01.00 hours

(9) at about 01.05 hours

(10) just after 01.00 hours

(11) ca. 01.00 hours.

In summary of item d.) it has to be concluded that the majority of survivors from deck 5 put the time for the big heel at just before or just after 01.00 hours.

 

as to e.) The righting up after the big heel.

(1) The vessel heeled deep to starboard and righted up, whereafter she heeled again to starboard;

(2) the ferry fell abruptly to about 40°/50° - this was just before 01.00 hours - she came back to almost upright condition and then heeled to about 10°/15° to starboard;

(3) the vessel heeled suddenly ca. 45° to starboard and came back to almost upright condition and then heeled stepwise more and more to starboard;

(4) at about 01.00 hours the vessel rolled 2-3 times, then heeled wide over to starboard and came back to almost upright condition.

(5) the vessel heeled twice very deeply to starboard and back to almost upright condition.

In summary of item e.) it has to be concluded that although only 5 survivors have directly testified that the ferry righted up after the big heel, it is certain that many more had noted it but have not testify respectively because they were not asked.