CHAPTER 17 THE RESCUE OPERATION

The ESTONIA's lifejackets were of an approved type common in passenger vessels (Figure 17.5). They were not equipped with lights since this was not required. There were donning instructions in cabins and at various locations on the boat deck, but many passengers had nevertheless difficulties, as described in 16.8, in putting them on properly.

Figure 17.5 ESTONIA’s lifejacket for adults.

Many of those who were rescued from liferafts have stated that they had heard calls for help in the dark in the water nearby, but because there were no lights they were unable to locate the persons calling for help.
Self-lighting lights on the lifejackets would have been vital during this rescue operation.

Lifeboats

The crew did not manage to launch any of the ten lifeboats. Nine broke loose when the vessel sank, and the tenth is still attached to its davits. The rapidly increasing list and the lack of time for organising the crew are considered to be the main reasons for this shortcoming. The lifeboats found drifting during the rescue operation had either capsized or were waterlogged (Figure 17.6).

Figure 17.6 A waterlogged ESTONIA lifeboat after the accident.

Three lifeboats were found near the place where the ESTONIA sank. A crew member had managed to climb into one of them and on each of the other two, which were floating upside down, six persons were hanging onto the bottom. One person from each was later washed away by the sea.
Once again traditional lifeboats proved to be useless in distress.

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