Bulker’s 1st Officer Blamed for Collision at Port of Brake

The first officer of Mount Hope, a bulk carrier which collided with a pier at the German Port of Brake on November 11, is in the center of a criminal investigation related to a misconduct, German water police inspection informed.

The first findings of the investigation revealed that the first officer, a 42-year-old Philippine national, is guilty of endangering vessel traffic.

In order for the criminal proceedings to be secured, a deposit of EUR 8,000 (around USD 9,400) will be collected after consultation with the Oldenburg Public Prosecutor’s Office on the decision of the relevant district court.

At around 4:40 A.M. Saturday, the 170-meter-long Handy bulker collided with the pier and a riverboat moored there. At the time of the incident, the Panama-flagged ship was on its way to Bremen with a load of steel.

There were no injuries and no pollution reported.

However, substantial damages to both vessels and the pier were determined.

As of November 16, Mount Hope is moored in the area, the ship’s AIS data shows.

World Maritime News Staff