Fire, flood or disaster · 11.09.1997
Kurkse tragedy
On 11 September 1997, at the end of a long exercise, 22 soldiers of the reconnaissance unit of the Baltic Peacekeeping Battalion tried to wade the roughly three-kilometre shallow strait from the Pakri islands to the mainland at Kurkse. Once out of the shelter of the island, high wind and waves struck; hypothermic men had to swim and could not reach the bottom. Fourteen soldiers drowned and eight were saved by the master of Kurkse harbour. A memorial stone was unveiled in Kurkse harbour in 1998.
Open it on the map See the spot on the old maps and as it is today
Eesti keeles
11. septembril 1997, pika õppuse lõpus, üritasid Balti rahuvalvepataljoni luurerühma 22 sõdurit ületada jalgsi umbes kolme kilomeetri laiust madalat väina Pakri saartelt mandrile Kurkse juurde. Saare varjust väljudes tabasid neid tugev tuul ja lained; alajahtunud mehed pidid ujuma ega ulatunud põhjani. Neliteist sõdurit uppus ja kaheksa päästis Kurkse sadama kapten. 1998. aastal avati Kurkse sadamas mälestuskivi.