Cruise Ship Tourist Guilty Of Felony Stupidity? gCaptain Says Yes - He does too....

[NAUTICART]

Posted on Fri, Aug. 19, 2011
Cruise passenger pleads guilty to dropping anchor


The Associated Press
A California man has pleaded guilty to dropping an anchor on a Tampa-bound cruise ship.
Federal prosecutors in Tampa said Friday that 45-year-old Rick Ehlert pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to damage a maritime facility. He faces up to 20 years in prison.
Authorities say the MS Ryndam was traveling from Costa Maya, Mexico, to Tampa on Nov. 27, 2010. A surveillance video shows Ehlert entering a restricted area and dropping the 18-ton stern anchor.When confronted by authorities, Ehlert told them he was drunk at the time. He also said the cruise ship's anchor system was similar to the system on his own 50-foot boat.Investigators say the Holland America ship avoided damage because the anchor didn't hit the sea floor.








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[salt'n steel]

No difference between this guy and someone messing with equipment on a passenger airliner. If the anchor had started to run out uncontrolled, it could have resulted in major damage or a likely fatality when the end of the chain came whipping out. Another fine example of the ugly American - no wonder we are not well liked by other countries. Thanks Mr. Ehlert!