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6.3.10 Reports from the open deck, deck 7
The first passengers out did not experience any crowding on staircases and outside. One of the first passengers out on deck 7 reported that he saw one or two crew members coming into the hall on deck 7 at the same time. The list at this time was estimated by this witness to be around 30 degrees. Helped by another passenger, he managed to open the doors out. While doing this he noticed that more people were coming up the staircases after him. This witness came out as the first or second person and immediately opened a nearby lifejacket container. He saw more people coming out and he distributed lifejackets both forward and aft. He could not keep up with all the people coming so he shouted to others, and got help.
Another witness moved up through the staircases without noticing any crowding but he found it difficult to get out due to the increasing list. This witness helped an officer out through the doors and the officer, once out on deck, started throwing lifejackets down into the hall and staircase. Out on deck, the lights were on and the moon was shining. Under the bridge was a small crowd and they were quite calm. There were 8 - 10 people outside when one witness noticed the time by her watch as 0105 hrs. People started to put on lifejackets and passed lifejackets from hand to hand. More people were coming out all the time. Several people threw lifejackets down into the ship to others still climbing in the staircase and the open hall.
Another passenger said that when he came out there were about 20 people as well as "groups of drunken youngsters". Some passengers said there was panic while others said there was no panic. On deck, several people heard the "Häire" announcement from the loudspeakers. One witness saw around ten persons lying on the deck near the bulkhead. They seemed apathetic and he threw lifejackets to them. He did not see them react or put on the lifejackets. Most passengers out on deck were in their underwear with lifejackets on. There was heavy spray and much water was coming down the main hall. Out on deck there was much activity, most people trying to do something. The ship was rolling and jerking.
More and more people emerged to deck 7 and a large crowd grew just outside the open doors. People helped each other out and some had to tell others to move away from the doors to make way for those still inside on the staircase. One female witness saw three men from the crew, and her impression was that they were behaving like any passenger, although they were helping others out. She also tried to get help from another crew member to release the lifeboats, but she found him even more passive than most of the passengers.
Several witnesses reported that they tried to open the liferaft containers. One unfastened the rubber strap around the container and pulled the handle to open the lid but this broke into pieces. He found the containers impossible to open.
At one point a human chain was formed where people tried to pull each other out. One crew member in a white shirt and tie was seen in the chain. At another point some people were lying down on the deck pulling others out.
Several witnesses reported that there were many panicking people on deck and that, "everyone was only looking out for him- or herself". There was screaming, crying and full panic, and people were treading on each other. Some passengers were injured, lying down and shouting for lifejackets. One woman was on all fours screaming and begging for a lifejacket. Someone threw one in her direction but it was uncertain whether she managed to put it on.
Several seemingly apathetic passengers were sitting on deck with their feet up and their backs against the bulkhead. Two men near the lifeboats were desperately pulling and tearing at ropes while others were coming out from the staircase. One of these fell on the threshold but managed to get hold of the railing. A number of crew members pulled and dragged more people out. On deck, people dispersed, some moving forward and others moving amidships and aft.
One witness trying to reach the port door, slid across the hall and through an open door out to starboard. He saw a couple of elderly people lying outside, seemingly dead. He opened a locker to a lifejacket container and started giving out lifejackets to the few people nearby. Soon he had to hold firmly onto the railing so as not to slide into the water, the surface now being quite near him. He was right under lifeboat number 5 when he saw lifeboat number 7 washed loose by a wave. At the same moment two lifejacket containers also came loose and tumbled into the sea. He and a female bartender were standing together, holding on to the railing, and were washed over by waves several times, sometimes being completely under water. Suddenly lifeboat number 5 came loose and in the next wave the bartender disappeared. The following wave washed the witness into the sea.
On the open deck to port there was much activity. Several people were distributing lifejackets from containers, others were throwing them into the staircase or passing them on to other passengers on the deck. Two passengers tried to release a lifeboat and others started to climb onto the liferaft containers. Two men tried to loosen these containers and others tried to open them by hand. One container broke loose and fell into the sea. While this was happening, the lights went out several times. Every time the light went out it was accompanied by screams. The passengers who were working to release the lifeboats found a panel with buttons of various colours. They tried to press all the buttons but nothing happened. They could not find any instructions. There was also a manual winch but three passengers together were not able to move it. They went on trying to open liferaft containers. They managed to open one and the raft inflated.
Around the same time there were about 100 people on the open decks. Some were passing lifejackets from hand to hand and people were trying to put the jackets on as best they could.
Out on deck a member of the crew talked calmly to the others and together with other crew members tried unsuccessfully to release a lifeboat. He said that the lashings were too rusty and that it was impossible to release this lifeboat. Another witness reported seeing a man standing, composed and assured, trying to calm those who were frightened. He arranged a human chain to distribute lifejackets from an open container. He saw to that everyone got a lifejacket and also instructed and helped passengers to put them on. One woman lent her knife to a passenger who was trying to open liferaft containers, but he failed.
Several crew members have reported that other crew members worked to release liferafts which, however, once inflated, were blown from the deck and into the water. Other crew members secured liferafts with ropes to the railings. One passenger managed to release a couple of liferaft containers which fell into the water and the rafts started to inflate.
On the deck there were, according to several witnesses, a couple of able-bodied seamen, the security guard, a manager from the Stockholm terminal, a few storekeepers and the boatswain. The boatswain was seen doing a heroic job helping many passengers and releasing rafts. A storekeeper was reported to have taken charge of some rescue operations. Crew members distributed lifejackets or released liferafts both amidships and aft.
The master of the alternate crew was also seen forward on the deck, just under the bridge, distributing lifejackets and giving orders to other crew members and passengers. The trainee second officer and the AB seaman of the watch were also there at an early stage and, according to other crew member witnesses, did a great job in helping others. Other crew members have reported that the crew played no particular role in the evacuation. Several passengers have reported the same.
When the ship was listing about 30 degrees, the "Häire, häire, laeval on häire" announcement was heard out on deck. At this time the engines were still running and the floodlights and ordinary lights were on. Some witnesses said that they could not hear any sound from the engines due to the screaming.
From inside the staircase, people were heard screaming, crying and shouting for more lifejackets. Many lifejackets were blown into the sea by the strong wind, but there were also plenty lying on the deck. One witness said that most people were calm and queuing for jackets but most stated that there was panic and chaos. Some people reassured each other that this ship could not sink, and this calmed a few passengers somewhat. Later about 250 people were out on deck with lifejackets on, most of them not dressed, some only in underwear and some naked. One witness reported that many people came out during the first five to ten minutes. After that it was impossible because of the increasing list. One of the last who tried to come out, a woman, was seen lying in the staircase hanging on to the threshold. She could not pull herself out and, after a while, she lost her grip and slid back.
Somewhat later the master of the alternate crew was seen near the door to the aft staircase coming from the fore and shouting orders and helping people. He ordered the safety guard to help two women release a liferaft. The security guard did not see, however, if the master got a lifejacket.
A few people started to climb up to deck 8 and formed a human chain to help more people up. Some ten people were on this deck trying to find lifejackets. After some difficulties, some of them managed to open one container and started distributing jackets. Some witnesses found the containers impossible to open due to the list. More people reached deck 8 and several fought for jackets, some trying to tear lifejackets from others even though there were plenty of jackets lying on deck. One witness reported that others told the fighters to calm down.
As the list increased, the hard plastic deck covering started breaking apart. Later this flooring broke free, preventing people from moving; and in some places it slid and rolled away. This covering also lay against the open aft doors, and later it fell into the sea on top of people in the water. More and more people grabbed the railings and hauled themselves up, afraid of being trapped below them when the ship's list increased. Some passengers helped lift others to get a grip on the railings, while others tried to jump up, but the railings were beyond the reach of many. According to one witness the ship had a list of 35 to 40 degrees for about ten minutes. Other witnesses reported that the ship suddenly heeled to 45 degrees, at about which point the engines stopped. Other witnesses stated that there were two distinct heels one to about 20 degrees and one to 45.
After lying at a 45-degree angle, according to some for about 5 minutes while the lights blinked a few times, the ship started to heel over again to 80 degrees and began to sink by the stern. At this time there were some very loud crashes from the inside and a loud hissing noise as air was expelled.
To starboard, one witness saw how people were clinging to the railing and were washed away when this became submerged. He also reported that he could see water rushing into the ship.
More and more people climbed up and out onto the ship's port side. Of the approximately 250 people, about 100 were sitting on the hull and holding on to the railing. Others who were not able to reach the railing stood on the bulkhead. Some jumped into the sea and many were forced off the ship by huge waves. Some witnesses held on, in spite of the seas, waiting for the right moment and a wave big enough to wash them safely over the ship's superstructure. They were afraid of being trapped or injured by railings, wires, lifeboats or davits. Some crew members and passengers together released a ladder which got stuck at the fender. One passenger, seen entering a lifeboat that was in its davits, lay down inside making no effort to launch it. Another passenger was seen losing his grip and sliding in right through the staircase hall and into the water on the starboard side.
A few people slid away on the ship's hull. Some were washed into the water but others were halted at the fender or got a grip on the ladder.
Several passengers reported that, as the Estonia's list reached 80 degrees, two crew members emerged from a shaft near the funnel shouting that there was water on the car deck. (They were presumably the system engineer and the motorman escaping from the engine room.) As the ship heeled, the lights went out, but soon the emergency light came on for four to five minutes then it was completely dark. A few witnesses also reported hearing a message on the public address system as the list reached 90 degrees. Two Estonian-speaking witnesses heard the message "the ship is going down" in Estonian. Another stated that he heard crew members urging passengers in Estonian to leave the sinking ship. When the funnel reached the water, witnesses could hear the bridge windows breaking. They also heard a long-drawn-out typhoon signal. They saw the firing of a distress rocket. At this angle, diesel oil started to flow over the ship, rendering surfaces rather slippery.
Out on the hull many people were now sitting, crawling, walking and standing. One passenger sat on a window holding onto a grating. Another trod on a window which broke injuring the person's leg. The moonlight and the white hull of the ship gave enough light to see what was happening. One witness has reported that the ship's hull was billowing and this made him afraid that the ship would break apart.
Several witnesses hung onto the rail but could not haul themselves up to climb onto the hull. One of them standing on the bulkhead was stuck just under a rack of liferaft containers. He ran aft on the bulkhead where he saw numbers of people crowding around a liferaft. Several climbed into it and under the tarpaulin canopy. Others were just hanging on to it, yet others throwing themselves onto its canopy. People were arguing about what to do and several thought it was too dangerous to launch the raft just at that moment. When the ship's angle seemed favourable they started to pull the raft, which slid into the wind alongside the hull. Soon after they were washed into the water together with the raft.
Some people worked in vain to open other liferaft containers but had to give up and run. About 15 people, forward on the hull, jumped into another liferaft which, after some sliding, got stuck against the rail. One witness shouted to the others to get out and help launch it and after a while everyone was out. They tried briefly but were unable to launch the raft. All of those who had been in the raft jumped into the water.
One man was seen climbing on the liferaft container racks, systematically opening containers one after another. One witness said it was the trainee second officer. The rafts inflated and many blew away. Others were caught by passengers and dragged over the hull towards the fender. Most of the liferafts were on the aft part of the hull.
One raft, forward, slid down on the hull towards the keel and got stuck on the fender. About 20 people were in the raft, some under the canopy and some above, and after a short while, when the ship's funnel reached the water, this raft slid back over the rail and into the water now covering parts of the superstructure.
There was another liferaft on the hull with several people in it, some trying to pull it into the sea. The raft started to slide and, hitting the water, it turned over and most of the people fell off.
Several people were reported to have been standing on the almost horizontal bulkhead with their backs against the deck, watching the funnel sink into the water. When the funnel reached the water surface, they were all engulfed in pungent smoke spreading over the deck. One passenger on the bulkhead reported that heavy waves pressed him against the deck and that he had nowhere to escape. He decided to let go when the next wave came because he was afraid of getting caught by the rail. When the next big wave came he threw himself forward into the water where he had seen the funnel disappear.
Far aft on the hull another inflatable liferaft lay upside-down. On the bottom were about ten people, around it was a crowd and many others were running to it. Most jumped into the raft at the same time causing some chaos. One passenger rushed along the hull towards the raft and threw himself violently past the rest and into it. Shortly thereafter this raft with people on and outside, began to slide along the hull and into the water.
On the hull a man, wearing underpants only, was seen rushing aft. He pulled a lifejacket over his head and threw himself directly into the water. Another witness was washed into the sea after having seen people fighting for a liferaft. One man was together with his wife who was very afraid of the water. He jumped and waved and shouted to her to follow, but she did not do so.
Some 50 people moved towards the highest level of the hull near the bilge-keel where a stabiliser fin stood straight up, rocking back and forth. The list was now gradually increasing, but not faster than people were able to crawl or walk towards the bottom. At about this moment one passenger asked some crew members if this was the time to abandon ship and jump into the sea. They answered that it was not yet necessary.
When the list was about 135 degrees several lifeboats broke loose and were thrown violently against the ship and got damaged. Damaged lifeboats floated upside down and one splintered lifeboat floated back and forth in the waves, striking the ship hard. Some people slipped into the water among cranes, wires and lifeboats and one witness reported that it was terrible to see.
Most remaining people were now on the bottom of the ship and many slid into the water. According to one witness it was as if the water was coming up to fetch the people, a couple at a time, and drag them down. Around the ESTONIA there were many inflated liferafts. Aft there were more than ten, some of them upside down, others with the canopy up and with lights. All around the ship the water was full of floating empty lifejackets.
About ten people were left on the bottom of the hull when the ship turned nearly upside down. Most of them were washed into the sea and one of the last sitting near the bilge-keel, saw the stern sinking quite rapidly and liferafts floating around the stern. The ship had heeled against the wind. A wave from stern swept this witness into the water. By 0130 hrs the stern was under water and the bow was rising, according to the trainee second officer who looked at his watch as he slid off the ship.
6.3.11 Reports from witnesses in the water
As the ESTONIA sank, many liferafts floated up to the surface. Numerous lifejackets floated around the vessel and also many liferafts. Several lifeboats floated upside down and witnesses also reported seeing dead people floating face down. Around and between liferafts were also people with lifejackets on, floating and swimming. Many screams and calls for help, including children's voices, were heard all around the rafts.
A few witnesses have reported seeing the ESTONIA sink. She went down, upside down, stern first, with the fore up in the air, clearly visible at a 45-degree angle. Part of the bridge was visible, the bulbous bow being the highest point. The ship maintained this position for several minutes and then gradually turned and sank into a sea of bubbles. Several people clinging to the ship followed her down. Two witnesses in liferafts saw people still climbing and clinging to the ship's bottom or hanging onto the rail. One witness saw several people climbing on the rail which broke and they all fell into the water. Another witness stated that he could see the ship sinking but with no people visible. There was much screaming at the moment she sank, but then a sudden silence. One witness reported that the ship was illuminated as she sank, and presumed it was the moonlight.
6.3.12 Reports from witnesses in various floating devices
From the witness testimonies it has been possible to identify many of those who were rescued from the same liferafts or lifeboats. Some witness reports include names of those they spent time with in the rafts while others do not. It has been possible, however, to trace many of the witnesses and identify the various floating devices by similarities in the reports. This cannot, however, be done with certainty in all cases.
Note also that all information in this summary, as well as in the other parts of this chapter, is derived exclusively from witnesses' testimonies. The number of people on board various floating devices and details about the rescue may therefore not necessarily correspond with the reports from helicopter and vessel crews involved in the rescue operations.
Reports from liferafts
Liferaft "A"
One male passenger, wearing a lifejacket, was swept from the hull into the sea. After being deep under water, he reached the surface and got hold of one more lifejacket. He found and clung firmly to some ropes from a lifebuoy. While hanging on, he heard someone close to him calling out for help in English. He got hold of the collar of a man in the water and saw that the man had no lifejacket. Suddenly a wave broke over them and the man was swept away. This witness later swam to a liferaft and managed to get in. The raft was full of water and the canopy was not raised. There were no other people in the raft. He managed to raise the canopy and the lights in the raft came on. After a while he found a suit made of aluminium foil. He tried to dress but the suit was too thin and tore, becoming useless. For several hours, water entered constantly because he was not able to close the canopy opening. During the early hours of the morning he was rescued by a Finnish helicopter.
Liferaft "B"
Two male passengers were rescued from another liferaft. One of them crawled along the ship's hull towards a raft which slid into the water. The witness held on to a rope and slid together with the raft into the water. He ended up quite close to another raft and managed to hang on to it. A young woman from inside held his hand, trying to pull him into the raft, but neither of them had the strength and after a while he lost his grip. He sank very deep and on regaining the surface he was quite dazed. He was floating very close to the ship's bow when he saw another raft drifting towards him. He managed to climb into this empty raft.
The other person rescued from the same raft was in the water for about an hour, swimming and floating on hard plastic deck covering from the sun deck. Several occupied rafts passed him but no one on board was able to throw a rope in his direction. He was wearing four lifejackets and now and then collided with rafts. He swam towards a drifting raft, calling for help. He saw a man who at first could not locate him in the dark. The man in the raft has reported that he heard calls for help and after a while he managed to get the swimmer on board.
They sat on top of the canopy at first but were able to crawl into the raft after a while. They also managed to raise the canopy and close the openings. There was a light in the raft. They helped each other to bail out the water with a plastic bailer and after a while they found a plastic bag containing another bailer and a hand torch. They were, however, unable to open this bag because their hands were frozen. One of them tried in vain to open it with his mouth but had to give up after losing some teeth. At about 0700 hrs these two men were rescued by a helicopter.
Liferaft "C"
One female passenger fell, hitting her head on something, and sank deep in the water. She thought she was going to die so she inhaled water. She eventually rose to the surface where she could see the ESTONIA and people clinging on. She collected several lifejackets from around her and floated on them towards a raft. She had difficulties getting on it and a young man from inside reached out to her. It took some time because she had tied herself to ropes, but the young man, an Estonian, held on and eventually pulled her up. In this raft there were six people some of whom were wearing overalls with "Estline" printed on them. Together they managed to release the canopy and got lights in the raft. From the water they heard screaming but were not able to see anyone.
After some time they fired distress rockets. Later they found a bag of plastic clothing, which they distributed to those who were nearly naked. From this raft six people were rescued by a Swedish helicopter.
Liferaft "D"
One passenger was thrown into the sea aft where the water smelled heavily of diesel oil. He swam to a raft that was upside down and a man helped him up. When on board he slid towards the centre of the raft where there was a large pool of water. He was exhausted and had to catch his breath. On the raft there were six persons. The raft turned over in the heavy seas and all on board fell into the water. This witness lost contact with the raft but hung on to a rope for several minutes, totally exhausted. He managed to get onto the raft again where there were still six people, one of them dead with severe head wounds. From this raft, five people were rescued at about 0700 hrs by a Finnish helicopter.
Liferaft "E"
In another raft there were two female crew members, (a mess attendant and a cabin attendant) together with a male passenger, all Estonians. The cabin attendant was inside the raft when it slid into the water. While in the water she managed to get hold of the man and pulled him on board. He had been swept off the ship by a wave. The mess attendant was also swept into the sea by a wave and surfaced close to this raft. The two inside helped her aboard and they were all rescued by a helicopter at about 0820 hrs.
Liferaft "F"
One passenger was swept overboard by a huge wave and after a short time in the water he managed to climb onto a liferaft which was upside down. He was alone and slid into the sea again because he realised that he could not survive in the open air. For protection against the cold wind he managed to get under the raft and inside the canopy. The raft was turned over by the heavy seas and he was suddenly inside the right way up. This raft was completely filled with water and he was constantly being washed over. He could not lie down or sit, only stand up. The raft suddenly turned over and he ended up beneath it again. The raft turned over in this manner several times during the night. One helicopter made two unsuccessful attempts to rescue him during the early morning hours but had to give up. He was rescued by a Finnish Coast Guard vessel at about 0600 hrs.
Liferaft "G"
In another liferaft there were one male passenger and two dancers, one female and one male, all Estonians. The female dancer was rescued from the water by the other dancer and she was taken off by a Swedish helicopter at about 0330 hrs. Later the two men were rescued by a Finnish helicopter and brought to the SILJA SYMPHONY.
Liferaft "H"
One Estonian passenger slid along the ship's hull into the water and managed to get onto an empty liferaft. The canopy could not be raised and the waves washed over this passenger several times. He was rescued by a helicopter at about 0400 hrs.
Liferaft "I"
In one raft there were many people. Among these, 14 were identified through their witness testimonies. The identified passengers were one male Norwegian, two male Estonians, one male Latvian and six Swedes (five male and one female). The crew members were a male Estonian shop assistant, a Russian turner, a cook and a motorman. The motorman had a broken arm and head injuries.
One of the Swedish passengers jumped from the ESTONIA into the water and swam to get hold of a nearby raft. After being pulled up by others he was totally exhausted. At this time the canopy was not yet raised. The turner, who had slid into the water, got stuck between two rafts and boarded one of them containing only three other persons. After a while others hauled themselves into the raft. Some of the people near the openings pulled in several swimmers.
Five people rushed to a raft lying upside down aft on the hull of the ESTONIA. About 50 people were jumping into and clinging onto it. As the raft slid over the rail and into the water most people fell off. The female witness, a Swedish passenger, slid down together with the raft, holding on to the ropes. She went under and was caught by a rope around the foot. She struggled under water but eventually cut the rope with a knife and reached the surface, where she hung on to an overturned raft. Close to her a Swedish man was also hanging on, one of those who had slid with the raft. They floated together for about 30 minutes until the man managed to get hold of a drifting raft. This raft was full of people who helped them aboard.
Cascades of water entered the raft at every wave and it was already full of water. A few bailed and they managed to close the opening after about 45 minutes. They could hear people in the water calling for help but were unable to see from where because of the darkness and the big waves. Many of them could do nothing to help because they were too exhausted. A few struggled with a crew member over a hand torch. The crew member held desperately on to the torch. They eventually managed to loosen his grip and started signalling with it. The people in the raft tried to lie very close together to keep warm but they were moved around by the water inside and the heavy sea. Several people, crew members and passengers, were quite active and they also fired several distress rockets. One young Norwegian passenger made an especially heroic contribution.
After several hours (after daybreak), they were able to see the ISABELLA. The raft was drifting towards the ship which manoeuvred to intercept. On board the ISABELLA the crew had released a liferaft and three crew members in survival suits urged the drifters from the ESTONIA to move from their raft to the ISABELLA's which had a rope on top and could be hoisted on board. The Estonia's raft struck the ISABELLA's hull repeatedly but after a while one survivor after another started to haul themselves over to the ISABELLA's raft, which by this time was filling with water. ISABELLA crew members made several attempts to hoist the raft and the crew members in survival suits eventually jumped into the water so as to lessen the weight. After about ten attempts they managed to lift the raft, but the bottom split and all but one of those on board fell into the sea. One witness managed to hold on to the raft in spite of being stiff with cold and exhaustion. Several came under the raft and some disappeared in the water.
After some time the ISABELLA opened a port in the hull and released a slide. The people in the water and a couple of crew members with survival suits were helped up onto the slide by other crew members. Sixteen people from this raft were rescued this way, and one by helicopter.
Liferaft "J"
In one liferaft there was only one passenger, a Swede, and he was rescued by helicopter.
Liferaft "K"
In another raft two people were rescued, the repairman, and a male Swedish passenger. Both witnesses were washed from the hull by a wave. The Swedish passenger managed to climb onto a liferaft which was floating upside down. On board were two girls in their twenties. The Estonian repairman swam for about ten minutes before being hauled on board the raft by the others. All four of them lay close together to keep warm and also massaged and hugged each other. Waves sprayed over them constantly, and washed them into the water four or five times. Each time they helped each other back on board, someone always managing to hold on to some part of the raft. The men wanted to turn the raft the right way up but the girls were very nervous and afraid of going into the water voluntarily to make this possible. When a wave once again washed over the raft, the two girls slid away and disappeared. The last thing the witnesses heard was one of them groaning. Waves threw the two men into the sea at least twice more. After the last time, the Swedish passenger got caught in a rope, but the repairman managed to get on board again. He tried to pull up the Swede but they were now both too weak. The repairman held the Swede in the water by the hands until a helicopter arrived and rescued them at about 0700 hrs.
Liferaft "L"
A musician wearing a lifejacket slid into the water and managed to get hold of a liferaft floating upside down with a man on the bottom. He did not manage to enter this but got onto another raft floating by the right way up. Once on board this, he helped another man, an Estonian passenger, by taking his hands and pulling him up. There were numerous calls for help nearby but he was unable to locate them in the dark. After a while it was silent. They were thus two in this liferaft and the canopy was released. They helped each other and fired distress rockets which were eventually seen by the SILJA SYMPHONY. Soon afterwards, a helicopter rescued them and landed them on board the vessel.
Liferaft "M"
One passenger crawled into a raft on the Estonia's hull. Other people threw themselves on top of the canopy of this raft. The raft slid and got stuck on the fender. Another passenger standing on top of the raft saw about 20 people running along the hull towards him. Several threw themselves on top of the canopy. It seemed dangerous to launch the raft from this height and they were arguing about whether the ship would stay afloat or sink. When the angle was favourable they dragged the raft towards the bridge where several rafts were floating in the water. As the raft slid, this witness was sitting and facing the direction of travel. When the raft hit the water, the witness was struck in the face by a floating object and fell overboard bleeding severely. He saw two rafts with the canopies released blowing towards him and managed to catch one of them. This raft was violently thrown by the waves several times against the hull of the ESTONIA.
The passenger who was under the canopy had to get out because the raft was full of water. He lost his trousers and shoes while fighting his way out and was completely naked. He managed to get over to another raft with several people inside and some on top of the canopy. He had the feeling that people were being exchanged by the waves, i.e. that some were washed into the sea and others were coming on board. He heard calls for help and screaming outside and tried for a long time to pull a man into the raft, holding on to him asking for help from the others inside the raft. One man could not help because he was bleeding severely and could not bend his face forward, and another was powerless to help because of an injured back. After about ten minutes he let the man go because he was afraid of losing all his remaining strength in attempting to pull him up or even holding him. Because of the water in the raft and because the waves were constantly flattening the canopy, he stood up to hold the canopy in place.
A third witness managed to grasp a rope to this liferaft. He reported that there were numerous people in the water and around the raft, many in panic. People were climbing onto his back and he got several bruises and scratches. The raft was thrown against the hull several times by the heavy sea. He got squeezed between the raft and the hull several times but by bracing his feet against the hull he managed to get on to the raft. During the struggle he injured his back against the hull.
Another witness reported that the raft slid down "at full speed" and that he jumped off. He fell into the water, hitting his head and his back. He swam towards this raft but found nothing to hang on to. A woman on it took his hand and held it. Several people in the water clung to his back and around his face. He also got a hand in his mouth. He got help from the woman to get onto the raft and when interviewed he stated that he could not have made it without her help.
This raft collided with another and the witness with the face injury managed to get hold of it. Several people climbed on his back to the other raft and when he lost his grip there were only five remaining, four male passengers and one woman, all Swedish.
The witness with the face injury has reported that one man was very active. He tried for over an hour to pull aboard a younger Estonian man but did not have the strength and the man eventually disappeared after calling for help in Estonian for quite a while. This witness also reported that there was a great deal of water in the raft and one male passenger stood, naked holding the canopy for most of the time. This witness could not move, let alone help because every movement increased the bleeding. (Later at the hospital, this man was found to have five facial fractures.)
The witness who held up the canopy has reported that an injured man in the raft was bleeding heavily from the face and holding the head of a woman above the water. The woman was wearing a brassiere and panties only. Occasionally waves flattened the canopy, causing this witness to fall. Every time, he forced it up again. While standing, he tried to close the openings to prevent any more water from coming in. He found the ropes to control the openings but did not find any place to fasten them and he therefore held them tight. He was standing for about four hours and became very tired.
The others tried to fire distress rockets but one of them ignited inside the raft filling it with smoke. No one was able to throw the rocket out and this witness had to stick his head outside for air. The woman, he reported, was becoming more and more listless and limp. She occasionally slid down into the water in the raft and was pulled up by the others, who tried to massage her and shake her to arouse her. One hour prior to their rescue, she died.
After several hours the sea movement changed. Water entered the raft and pushed down the canopy again. The occupants found nothing to bail with and have said that by now it was only a matter of minutes before they would have to give up. They were not able to struggle any more in a raft filled with water and with the canopy down.
They were saved by a Finnish helicopter at dawn, the rescue taking three or four minutes. The witness who was standing up expected to be smoothly lifted by the helicopter as the last person. Instead, both he and his rescuer were violently jerked out of the raft by the wire, plunged deep into the water and then violently jerked up again to the helicopter
Liferaft "N"
One female Swedish passenger ran aft along the hull towards a raft. Several other people joined her when they were suddenly swept into the sea by a huge wave. Another female witness, a croupier, was also swept away, striking the bulkhead and then ending up deep under water. She reported being quite resigned to drowning, feeling the situation to be hopeless. She eventually surfaced close to a raft. Another female passenger jumped into a raft on the hull. This raft slid into the water and turned over. All those on board fell into the water and she swam for a while shouting for help. A male passenger jumped into a raft on the hull with two men and one woman in it. The raft slid into the water with a couple of people hanging on its outside.
The Swedish woman who had just surfaced swam to a raft and was helped on board by a man inside. Once on board she helped the croupier up, and the two women then pulled up four more persons. The women started to bail with their shoes. They urged others to help but most of the others seemed shocked or apathetic. The raft was taking in much water so one of the two women cut a rope hanging out from the raft (the rope to the sea anchor). After this the inflow decreased considerably. They shouted and urged each other to fight and to master the situation, and they were quite active. For about twenty minutes they struggled to drag on board a female Estonian shop assistant who had been swimming for a while, calling for help. In her report this shop assistant stated that she was helped by a Swedish female who tried for quite some time to pull her on board. After a while they also managed to get help from others and pulled her onboard. In addition to these three women this raft contained a male and a female Russian, an Estonian waitress, another Estonian shop assistant and an Estonian, a Swedish and a German passenger. The latter was pulled on board after about half an hour in the water.
One witness has reported that they had difficulties with the canopy and that there were no lights on board. Now and then this water-filled raft buckled and stretched out again and all the people were thrown together. Several were seasick and vomiting, only a few were active, signalling with torches and trying to bail out the water. One witness wound a rope around his arm to secure himself from being thrown out. The two most active women tried to fire distress rockets when they saw other ships but they were having difficulties in working out how to operate them. With some help, they managed to release one, which apparently was seen on board one of the ferries.
The raft floated near the ferry which lowered a raft with a rope. On board the ferry the crew called over a megaphone to the people in the ESTONIA raft to move over to theirs, where there were some men in orange coloured clothing helping them. This raft was then lifted by a hand-driven winch aboard the MARIELLA and nine people were rescued.
Liferaft "O"
One Swedish passenger jumped into the sea and came up close to a raft floating upside down. He got a grip and managed to hold on for a while. Suddenly a wave turned the raft right-side-up and the next wave washed this person into it. There was much water inside and he was alone. After about fifteen minutes he heard calls for help but was unable to see anyone in the darkness. Some time later a wave overturned the raft again and then immediately another one righted it. After this he realised that there was another man in the raft, an Estonian crew member. The lamp in the raft was alight and he found a survival blanket which he wrapped around himself. The two men were transferred to a raft lowered by a ferry and were hauled aboard at about 0500 hrs.
Liferaft "P"
One witness lost his lifejacket while running along the hull towards the water. In the water he bounced against the ship several times but suddenly a raft appeared "as from nowhere" quite close to him and he managed to grab hold. Another witness jumped from the funnel at the same time as the typhoon signal was heard and gained an empty raft. All around him there were calls for help and after some time he managed to pull inside a Lithuanian man. They helped others into the raft and after some time they were about 15 people. These included several crew members, a motorman, a store keeper, one able-bodied seaman and his wife, the welder, one cabin attendant, the hotel purser and one Estonian and four Swedish passengers.
One of the witnesses has reported seeing at least 20 rafts in the vicinity and hearing numerous calls for help, but without being able to locate the people. One of the passengers found a thermal protective suit and tried to put it on. The suit was too thin and tore in several places. There were no lights in the raft and because it was somewhat crowded, two people moved over to another raft. Those that remained drifted towards the MARIELLA, which launched a raft. The people climbed over to this raft and the MARIELLA crew hauled them on board.
Liferaft "Q"
One witness was washed overboard from the ESTONIA without a lifejacket. He sank deep under water several times but eventually managed to grip a rope from a raft. A man inside the raft bent over, took a firm grip on his collar and tried to pull him aboard. He lacked the strength, however, and the witness begged him to let go because he was near being strangled by the grip and could not breathe. The raft was too high and he could not find anything to climb on. He managed to get onto another, damaged, raft and from this he crawled into the first raft. In this raft there were about 15 people, many of them Estonian crew members, and they were very active. Many were signalling, waving and shouting to ships nearby. All in this raft were rescued by a Finnish helicopter which put them on board the MARIELLA. A few witnesses from this raft have reported that they were totally exhausted and that they had only faint memories of being rescued.
Liferaft "R"
Witnesses from another raft have reported that they tried to pull it into the water from the hull. Suddenly the raft slid away with several people on board. Some witnesses had to let go their grip and they fell deep into the water. Others managed to stay aboard and there was much water in the raft. Another witness saw a man start to swim towards the raft, tried to pull him into the raft but the man was heavy, and disappeared. Another male witness was swimming towards the same raft and ended up underneath it. He managed to get loose and called for help. He was heard by someone inside who managed to get a grip on his arm. Around him were many people swimming and calling for help and the man inside reassured him that he would not let go. After a while he was pulled into the raft, by then completely exhausted. In this raft there were about 15 people, many of them seasick and vomiting both inside and outside the raft. They were having difficulties closing the canopy and there was much water inside. One witness reported that he used his boots to bail with. About 15 persons, 11 male and 4 female, were rescued from this raft, according to witness reports, and they were transported by helicopter to the SILJA EUROPA.
Liferaft "S"
A crew member, the system engineer, was releasing liferafts on the hull. He made them fast with ropes and when the angle was right he cut the ropes so the rafts could slide into the water. He slid together with a raft into the sea and, once inside, started to pull people on board from another crowded raft nearby. One passenger helped pull rafts into the sea. He fell into the water and when the raft turned over he managed to get hold of a lifejacket and climb in. Once aboard he helped several other people onto the raft.
A Swedish woman and a man holding hands jumped overboard and sank deep under the water. They lost their hold, and the man got a rope around his foot, which dragged him further down. He started to inhale water because he thought he was going to die. Eventually he freed himself by kicking off his shoe and he reached the surface. The woman got her lifejacket around her legs but surfaced quite near an upside-down raft. Together they managed to climb on board. Another witness climbed into this raft and started to help others by pulling them inside.
One Estonian passenger in the water saw a raft after a while, but was unable to reach it. After another 20 minutes in the sea he was dragged on board this raft by other people. It was full of water and people were lying together with their arms around one another to keep warm. The water made them slide around in the raft and it was difficult to stay on board without holding on to a rope or something else. One witness remembered that several people disappeared during the night. Several others were washed overboard several times but managed to get a grip on something and pull themselves aboard again. At times there was panic in the raft and several people died. One witness said that there were six or seven dead in the raft by morning. One witness, the AB seaman of the watch, found another raft and moved over to this, where he was alone. Altogether 16 people were rescued at about 0830 hrs by Finnish helicopters. During the lift to the helicopter one person fell into the sea and was later found dead.
Liferaft "T"
One Swedish passenger was thrown into the water and washed into an empty lifeboat. He saw a hand on the gunwale and tried unsuccessfully to pull the other person up. While he was struggling a wave turned the lifeboat upside down and he landed underneath. He kept hold of a keel rail on the outside of the boat but lost his grip when another wave came and he ended up near a raft, where he managed to get hold of a rope. He could not see where he was but later found he was under a liferaft which was floating upside down. The canopy was released and he managed to sit and stand inside this. On top of the upside-down raft there were three other men and he managed to contact them by pounding on the bottom of the raft above him. One of the men on top of the raft, the trainee 2nd officer, had been clinging on for a while unable to get onto it because his feet were caught in ropes. His lifejacket had slid down and was hanging around his waist. A boy helped him up. Lying on top of this upside-down raft there was also a naked elderly man.
The passenger under the raft shouted to the others on top not to forget him. After several hours he heard a helicopter and he pounded on the bottom again with the help of a distress rocket, afraid he would be forgotten. When the helicopter rescue man had hoisted the men off the top of the raft, he and the Swede below it were able to localise each other by pounding on the raft. The rescue man made a slit in the bottom with his knife and the passenger dragged himself out through this. He was rescued together with the others by a Swedish helicopter at about 0630 or 0700 hrs.
Liferaft "U"
One passenger fell from the bilge keel and reached the surface near several rafts. He was helped onto one and started helping others by pulling them in. After some time there were 11 people in the raft, most of them passengers. One woman was helped inside by a very strong Norwegian who later abandoned this raft for another one because he said it was leaking. A female witness who had been hanging outside was helped by a passenger and a big wave and managed to slide into the raft. Once aboard, she was completely exhausted and lay down seasick, dozing occasionally. Inside there were lights, and the canopy was raised.
One female Swedish passenger has reported that in this raft one person took the lead. Several were without lifejackets, some quite passive, one rather drunk and wearing only underpants. He got upset and started to fight with, the "leader", who tried to calm him down and to protect himself. The man fought violently and was not easily calmed. After about an hour, this man died in the arms of another passenger.
Somewhat later another man started to fight with the "leader", and there was some tumult but this man calmed down after a while. He was hanging on to a rope in the middle of the raft. He had suddenly became violent, shouting in English about knives, evidently wanting to cut his way out through the canopy.
Two men died during the night, one with a heart disease and the drunk man already mentioned. One witness reported that the "leader" was very active and did a fantastic and heroic job. After about two hours, witnesses heard someone outside the raft and managed to pull aboard a German passenger who had been swimming all the time. This person smelled strongly of diesel oil.
The witnesses in this raft tried to fire several distress rockets, one of which ignited inside the raft and filled it with smoke. People helped each other but some, wearing underwear only, became quite apathetic. Some people held others' heads above the water. From this raft twelve people were rescued at about 0700 hrs by a helicopter which put them on board the SILJA SYMPHONY.
Liferaft "V"
One woman jumped together with her husband into the water. The husband lost his lifejacket and her own slid down to her waist. She heard her husband tell her about the lifejacket and then he disappeared. Several other people inside this raft had slid from the hull down into the water. Some pulled themselves over from other rafts and others were pulled from the water by yet others. They were not able to close the openings and water sprayed in. There was about 20 cm of water on the bottom and almost all of the people were seasick and vomiting. Despite the terrible smell they were forced to lie very close with their arms around each other to keep warm.
During the night a hole developed in the bottom of the raft. The occupants mended it with reflector tape from their lifejackets. They used all the reflector tape on board and they also bailed with their shoes. All became increasingly fatigued and the bailing was, after some time, very slow. All were rescued by a Finnish helicopter at about 0900 hrs.
Reports from lifeboats
Lifeboat "A"
One crew member, a waiter, was thrown overboard from the starboard side. He swam towards a lifeboat and managed to get hold of it but lacked the strength to get into it. He clung to a rope for several hours and eventually worked up the strength to get on board. He heard many calls for help around him and at one time he remembered a young woman grasping the lifeboat but the next moment she was gone. In the boat he found two distress rockets which he fired. After four hours alone in this lifeboat he was rescued by a helicopter.
Lifeboat "B"
An Estonian head waiter got hold of the keel rail of an upside-down lifeboat. He rested for a moment and managed to climb up onto the bottom. On top of it there were already three men, one of them the third engineer. One man with severe head injuries later died.
Somewhat later the head waiter managed to help another man and a woman up onto the lifeboat. One of them had been floating on a wooden cupboard for about 30 minutes. In the darkness he heard and noticed someone in the water holding on to the lifeboat, but was unable to help and this person disappeared. The occupants of this lifeboat were all rescued by a helicopter at about 0400 hrs.
Lifeboat "C"
One Swedish passenger jumped into the water and was thrown around violently. While under water he gave up and inhaled water but eventually reached the surface. He saw a piece of wreckage and managed to get hold of it. A woman was holding on to the same wreckage and together they moved towards an upside-down lifeboat. The man's lifejacket was round his waist. The woman climbed up onto the keel of the lifeboat and helped others up. This witness was helped on to the keel, and held firmly on to the propeller, praying and calling to God. He reported that he had no contact with others around him, although he was aware of people in the water and behind him. He did not dare to loosen his grip. After a few hours, the woman who had helped him up disappeared.
Another witness jumped into the water and was very deep under. Surfacing, he swam for about 25 metres and became exhausted. Dead people were floating face down in the water around him. One lifeboat came near him upside-down. On this was a man holding on to the propeller, constantly praying and shouting to God in panic. The witness reported being annoyed by this screaming while he himself was helping others up on the boat. He managed to help a man up on the lifeboat and saw two others get onto it by themselves. A Swedish woman was hanging on to the lifeboat. He spoke to her and tried unsuccessfully to help her up. She was very frightened. He has reported her clinging onto the lifeboat for what seemed like an eternity, until a couple of big waves washed over the lifeboat and the woman disappeared.
This lifeboat drifted towards a ferry which illuminated it with a searchlight. Sometime thereafter a Swedish helicopter rescued the witnesses.
Report from one witness swimming
The second engineer was swept from the hull by a huge wave. In the water he managed to find two lifejackets and put them on. He also had a torch with which he could signal. After swimming for more than three hours he was rescued by the ISABELLA at 0445 hrs.
6.3.13 Summary of witness reports concerning lifejackets
Many passengers reported difficulties with the lifejackets, all of which had "VIKING SALLY" printed on them. Several stated that the lifejackets appeared old-fashioned. One passenger said that they were tied together in threes and were difficult to separate. Others found the straps too short to be fastened at the crutch. Most witnesses did not understand how to put the lifejackets on, they did not seem to fit. Some reported that straps were missing or too short. Many witnesses put on two jackets and one witness who could not tie the vest at the crutch because the straps were too short tied the strap around his belt.
Many witnesses lost their lifejackets when they jumped or were washed into the water and several reported that the jackets slid down around their waists.
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