Drink-driving: Cargo ship rams German yacht

A matter of seconds decided between life and death: when German sailors Kirsten and Detlef Kaack spotted the approaching cargo ship in the port of Korsør on Monday evening, they had the presence of mind to jump from their moored yacht. Moments later, the "Olymp Trader" rammed their boat. The reason for the collision: the 54-year-old Russian first officer was under the influence of alcohol – his blood alcohol level was one per mille above the legal limit. For the couple from Schleswig-Holstein, who have been sailing in Danish waters for twelve years, it was their final voyage – albeit very different from what they had planned.

This video shows the dramatic collision:

Seconds until collision

What was intended to be their final major sailing trip ended in a nightmare: on the evening of Monday 8 June, in the port of Korsør, a cargo ship rammed the moored sailing yacht belonging to German couple Kirsten and Detlef Kaack from Lankau in Schleswig-Holstein. The Russian first officer of the cargo ship was under the influence of alcohol at the time, as reported by the Danish broadcaster TV2 Øst.

Detlef Kaack described the dramatic moments to Danish television: “I suddenly heard something, looked out of the window and saw the cargo ship, which was unusually close to us.” When he went out onto the deck, the 70-year-old immediately realised the danger. “The bow of the ship was heading straight for us. Things were going to go wrong, so we immediately left the boat and went onto the quay. A few seconds later, the ship rammed into our boat. I thought it was going to sink.”

The couple had properly moored their Elan 45 with four lines and were relaxing on board after a long day’s sailing. Their quick reaction probably saved their lives. “We could have been asleep. That is utterly irresponsible,” Kaack told TV2 Øst. He was particularly outraged that the vessel had not even sounded its horn as a warning.

Extensive damage – €100,000 in damages

According to reports by TV2 Øst, the heavy cargo ship Olymp Trader (built in 2002), which is registered in Antigua and Barbuda and was travelling from Wismar, first knocked over three lanterns on the quay before ramming the sailing yacht. It then collided with the quay again on the opposite side of the harbour.

Detlef Kaack estimates the damage to his yacht at over 100,000 euros. The couple are now worried as to whether the boat can be saved at all.

Officer arrested with a blood alcohol level of over 1.0                  ��

The 54-year-old Russian first officer was arrested by the police on Monday evening, reports TV2. “We arrested the man because his blood alcohol level was one per mille above the legal limit,” Kasper Skotte, duty officer at South Zealand and Lolland-Falster Police, told the broadcaster. The officer has been charged with drink-driving.

According to TV2 Øst, there was no pilot boat on site to provide assistance during the manoeuvre, even though this is standard practice during difficult harbour manoeuvres.

The end of a twelve-year tradition

For the Kaacks, the incident is particularly bitter: the three- to four-week trip around Zealand was meant to be their last big sailing trip. They had been spending their summers in Danish waters since 2013 – without ever having had any problems, as Detlef Kaack pointed out.

"It's a nightmare. It's awful," Kirsten Kaack told TV2 Øst. The couple had to cut their trip short. After this experience, neither of them wants to go sailing again.

TV2 Øst reported that attempts to obtain a statement from the shipping company that owns the "Olymp Trader" were unsuccessful.