It has been almost 25 years since the Estonia sank in the Baltic Sea on the night of September 28. Much of the work of rescue helicopters has changed since then.

“Everything is more adapted to what we do today. It makes our job quite a bit easier,” says Patrik Nilsson, who is a surface salvager and was involved in the rescue helicopter operation when the Estonia sank.

The rescue helicopters have become both faster and better equipped with, among other things, searchlights and double winches, something that was not available on the helicopters in 1994.

The crew living on the bases will be required to report at a shorter notice now compared to then and the air operations are coordinated in a different way, which makes the work safer and more efficient. Better cooperation and exercises with different countries are also changes that have come about after Estonia.

Today, there are seven rescue helicopters at five different bases in the country.
In 1994, the Swedish Armed Forces were responsible for the rescue helicopter operations and then there were more helicopters available.

But that doesn't necessarily mean that we are less equipped today, says Mattias Hyllert, head of department at the Swedish Maritime Administration.

– The helicopters available today are better and sharper for rescue operations than those we had back then. At the same time, it can of course be an advantage to have a lot of units.

Passenger traffic at sea has also changed, with cruise ferries now taking on board a larger number of people. Evacuating by helicopter takes time, which means that the ships themselves must have good capabilities to cope in an emergency.

– We will get there and we will do our best on site, but a large cruise ship is an overwhelming task, says Mattias Hyllert, head of department at the Swedish Maritime Administration.

Source: sverigesradio.se