Danish police arrested a 54-year-old Russian chief officer after the general cargo ship Olymp Trader hit a German sailing yacht, a pier and three lamp posts at Korsør Harbour on Monday evening, according to South Zealand and Lolland-Falster Police.
Police boarded the foreign cargo ship after the incident. A breathalyser test showed the officer was above Denmark’s legal alcohol limit. He was arrested at 20:56, charged under Danish maritime law, questioned after a blood sample was taken and released at 22:00.
The vessel was identified as Olymp Trader, a 2002-built, Antigua and Barbuda-flagged general cargo ship commercially operated by Baltic Shipping Company A/S. Baltic Shipping’s fleet data lists the ship at 4,450 tonnes DWCC and IMO number 9246906.
Baltic Shipping chief executive Ronnie Hulstrøm said the company had “zero tolerance” for alcohol on board vessels it operates and expected the officer to be dismissed or to be dismissed soon. Hulstrøm said Baltic Shipping handles the vessel’s commercial operation but does not employ the crew.
The ship had arrived from Wismar, Germany, and was expected to sail to Randers after release. German yacht owners Kirsten and Detlef Kaack escaped without injury but estimated damage to their yacht at more than €100,000 ($115,500).
Baltic Shipping Company A/S is a Danish shipping and logistics company active in chartering, ship agency, ship management, vessel operations, port operations and project cargo.