Cruise Ship Passenger Gets Drunk, Drops Anchor
If you’re going to take a cruise and get drunk it’s highly suggested that you stay away from the ships controls. Rick Ehlert, 45, proved that point when he drank martinis all night, stole a bottle of vodka when a cruise ships bar closed and then proceeded to drop anchor…literally.
The belligerent passenger snuck into an off-limits area of the MS Ryndam where he proceeded to release the ship’s 18-ton anchor which caused the vessel to grind to a halt for three-hours.
For his drunken efforts Ehlert was sentenced to two months in prison after a judge called his incident a “bothersome crime.” The judge overseeing Rick’s case also ordered him to take part in substance abuse counseling
In an apology letter written to the ship’s captain Ehlert proclaimed:
“Many people have asked me why I dropped the anchor. I believe that I was intrigued by the machinery, and curious to see if I could operate it. I do remember trying to stop the anchor once it started moving, but it just kept going faster.”
The anchor wasn’t Ehlert’s only misdeed, he also threw a life preserver overboard which forced the ships captain to summon all 1,600 cruise passengers to rise before dawn to stand at emergency stations while they were counted to ensure a true tragedy did not occur stemming from a passenger overboard situation.
Do you think the drunken passengers crime deserves two months in prison and an alcohol abuse program based on the troubles he created for crew members and passengers?
