Bo received the first Swedish emergency call about the tsunami

Bo Edström, then an officer on duty at the Swedish Rescue Agency, clearly remembers the morning when he received Sweden’s first emergency call about the tsunami.

– It was Boxing Day, and we didn’t really know what a tsunami was when the alarm came, says Bo Edström to TV4 Nyheterna.

Despite the initial uncertainty, the development of events went quickly. During a couple of dramatic days, Sweden’s efforts were organized to help both within and outside the country’s borders. As early as December 28, Bo Edström was sent to Sri Lanka, one of the countries that was hit the hardest along with Thailand.

– We tried to help based on a plan that did not exist and rowed according to the situation. Spontaneous procurement was done at that time, so on December 28, a colleague and I went down with about 50 supplies in a former bomber, says Bo Edström.

“Their eyes showed shock”

– On the way down we made several stopovers to refuel and when we stopped over in Dubai we met the first passengers. They sat with bathing suits and towels. Their eyes showed shock. Then I understood that it is something terrible we will face.

Bo Edström says that there was no clear plan for such an extensive disaster, and it quickly became clear that a lot of improvisation was required. The biggest challenges were logistics and managing the huge amount of people who needed help.

– We represented Sida via the rescue service during the rescue work, and were of course not the only ones on site. We met people from several international organizations, but none spoke directly to each other.

Shaped today’s rescue efforts

Since 2004, Sweden has introduced many improvements. MSB has developed new guidelines and policies, and training based on tsunami experiences has improved emergency response preparedness. Warning systems for tsunamis have been significantly improved, and international cooperation has been strengthened, which has affected the preparedness and response of the Swedish rescue services.

Bo Edström looks positively at how the crisis work has developed, but at the same time is proud of the effort he and his colleagues made 20 years ago.

– The personal courage and determination shown by many individual rescue workers during these critical days is something to remember and honor. You become proud of your colleagues in such situations, says Bo,

He continues:

– I am happy that I have been used and happy that I got to be one of the team players who got to help during the tsunami.