Only seconds made the difference between life and death: when the German sailing couple Kirsten and Detlef Kaack noticed the approaching cargo ship in the harbour of Korsør on Monday evening, they had the presence of mind to jump from their moored yacht. Shortly afterwards, the "Olymp Trader" rammed into their boat. The reason for the collision: the 54-year-old Russian first mate was under the influence of alcohol - his blood alcohol level was one per mille above the permitted limit. For the couple from Schleswig-Holstein, who have been sailing in Danish waters for twelve years, it was their last voyage - but in a completely different way than planned.
This video shows the dramatic collision:
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Seconds until collision
What was planned as the last big sailing trip ended in a nightmare: on Monday evening, 8 June, a cargo ship rammed the moored sailing yacht of German couple Kirsten and Detlef Kaack from Lankau in Schleswig-Holstein in the harbour of Korsør. The Russian chief mate of the freighter was under the influence of alcohol, 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 on deck, the 70-year-old immediately recognised the danger. "The bow of the ship was heading straight for us. It was going to go wrong and 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 of sailing. Their timely reaction probably saved their lives. "We could have slept. This is deeply irresponsible," Kaack told TV2 Øst. He was particularly outraged that the ship had not even warned them with the horn.
Massive damage - 100,000 euros in damages
According to reports from TV2 Øst, the heavy cargo ship Olymp Trader (built in 2002), which is registered in Antigua and Barbuda and came from Wismar, first knocked over three lanterns on the quay before ramming into 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 now fear whether the boat can be saved at all.
Officer arrested with over a blood alcohol level
The 54-year-old Russian first officer was arrested by police on Monday evening, TV2 reports. "We arrested the man because his blood alcohol level was one per mille above the legal limit," Kasper Skotte, officer in charge of the South Zealand and Lolland-Falster police, told the broadcaster. The officer was charged with drink-driving.
According to TV2 Øst, there was no pilot boat on site to support the manoeuvre, although this is customary for difficult port manoeuvres.
The end of a twelve-year tradition
The incident is particularly bitter for the Kaack couple: the three to four-week tour around Zealand was to be their last big sailing trip. They had been spending their summers in Danish waters since 2013 - without ever having any problems, as Detlef Kaack emphasised.
"It's a nightmare. It's terrible," Kirsten Kaack told TV2 Øst. The couple had to abort their trip. After this experience, neither of them want to sail again.
TV2 Øst reported that attempts to obtain a comment from the shipping company of the ship "Olymp Trader" were unsuccessful.
