A deck officer from the bulker Ali Aykin has been charged with gross negligence following the vessel’s grounding off Sweden last month. Prosecutors allege he was using his cell phone and navigating without a functional sonar depth sounder prior to the incident.
On May 25, the Ali Aykin was en route from Gdansk, Poland, to Setubal when it missed the entrance to the shipping channel and veered northwest. At around 1:00 AM, the ship ran aground on a charted shoal south of the Øresund Bridge while carrying approximately 18,000 gallons of diesel.
Swedish authorities prioritized the vessel’s refloating due to the potential environmental risk. Complications arose when flooding occurred in one of the ballast tanks. However, on June 4-5, tugs successfully pulled the ship off the shoal and escorted it to safety.
The watch officer on duty during the grounding has been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence. Prosecutors claim he failed to use a lookout and was distracted by his phone while navigating. The officer has denied these allegations.
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