A cruise ship passenger, who was enjoying his Caribbean adventure so much he tried to delay the vessel’s arrival back port, will no doubt be regretting his actions now.
Ryan Ehlert’s attempt to delay the vessel went completely overboard as in a drunken stupor, he released the anchor of Holland America’s MS Ryndam in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico.
The 44-year-old sailing enthusiast is now out of his depth as he faces a $250,000 fine and up to 20 years in jail for dropping the anchor of the 1,260-passenger liner.
Mr Ehlert, from California, managed to evade crew to sneak into a restricted area on the eleventh deck in the early hours of Saturday as the vessel made its homeward journey from Costa Maya in Mexico, to Tampa, Florida.
The schemer donned working gloves and released the rear anchor before throwing a lifebuoy overboard for good measure.
Ehlert was identified from CCTV footage of the incident after the stunt was discovered and the ship’s captain ordered all hands on deck to find the culprit.
The assailant was dressed in the same clothes that Ehlert had worn to a formal dinner just hours previously.
The 719ft cruise ship escaped unscathed and managed to continue its journey back to Florida.
However Ryan is now in custody facing charges of endangering a ship’s safe navigation and attempting to damage a vessel.
Authorities claim that the stunt could have caused devastation as the anchor could have punctured the ship and caused it to sink.
According to the FBI, Ehlert admitted the offence claiming he was drunk at the time. He also explained that the ship’s anchor system was similar to that of his own 50ft boat.
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