A drunk Russian sailor was responsible for the grounding of a 7,000-ton cargo ship off the coast of Scotland earlier this year, a report issued by the UK government's Marine Accident Investigation Branch concluded last week.
In a deadpan statement, the investigation found that the officer on duty “had become inattentive due to the effects of alcohol consumption,” a statement on the UK government's website said.
Russian news outlet TV Dozhd reported that the officer was a Russian who had consumed half a liter of rum — eight times the legal limit — before taking his post.
Once on the bridge, the drunk Russian sailor was able to silence and reset an alarm that sounded every six minutes “without leaving his chair,” the report said.
Additionally, he failed to switch on the bridge navigation alarm system, which would have sounded an alarm notifying the crew that he was incapacitated.
The Russian officer failed to notice that his ship was off course and steaming toward the shore at full speed. The company announced that the officer was fired immediately.
The ship, belonging to shipping company Lysblink Seaways, was so badly damaged by the incident that its hull was punctured and 25 tons of fuel were spilled into the ocean.
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