After coming dangerously near to grounding, a Russian cargo ship MV Ruslana (former BBC Seattle) was detained in Poland, and officials discovered the skipper and three crew members to be drunk.
The incident occurred overnight Friday (December 3–4) when the Russian-flagged ship, the Ruslana, left the designated shipping lanes in Gdansk Bay and did not respond to calls, according to Poland’s Maritime Office.
The vessel’s route was tracked by the Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) at Zatoka, which warned the Border Guard’s Maritime Department that the ship was in risk of grounding.
A team from the Maritime Search and Rescue Service was sent to the area, and after “some time,” they were able to make contact with the vessel.
The ship was guided to an anchorage, where the Border Guard confirmed that the captain and three crew members were under the influence of alcohol.
The ship was boarded by an inspector from the Gdynia Maritime Office’s Port State Inspectorate, who issued a detention notice. The police have been notified as well.
The Ruslana, a Russian-flagged bulk carrier with a length of 120 meters and a deadweight of 7,750 tons, was built in 2007.
