Alcohol Implicated in Double Grounding

alt — A sister ship of the Hadeland (File image courtesy Navalis Shipping)

[Brief] The freighter Hadeland ran aground twice while attempting to depart the port of Riga, Latvia on Saturday, and local authorities say that the master allegedly failed a breathalyzer test for alcohol intoxication after the second incident.

At about 2140 hours on Saturday, the Latvian Coast Guard received notification that the 9,000 dwt freighter Hadeland (ex name NBP Commander) had gone aground while departing the port. The service dispatched the response boat Gaisma to the scene, and the boat crew determined that there were no signs of pollution. The Hadeland planned to refloat under her own power, and she succeeded in getting under way once more.

At 2220 hours, the patrol boat reported that the Hadeland had gone aground a second time. The boat crew boarded Hadeland and administered a breathalyzer test to the master, and they allegedly found the presence of alcohol in his breath.

Hadeland refloated once more and transited to a safe anchorage for a thorough inspection. As of Monday, she was under way in the Baltic once more, bound for Immingham, England.