What a friggin' mess, a half million dollar rescue/pursuit boat reportedly sinks, due to the commands of a seemingly incompetent yet experienced Port Authority (of New York and New Jersey) Police Department Sergeant, in New York waters. And to think that the boat in question had the number 7211 (or 7+2=9 followed by 11 - which I would guess was no coincidence) but had what I can only consider as an asshole in command, who listened to whom I guess was another asshole - who was reportedly a civilian safety training instructor.
I do not know who of the both of them was the bigger moron, the trainer who reportedly recommended opening a submerged hatch on the vessel or the sergeant in command who reportedly ordered that the underwater hatch actually be opened. If the report got it right, and if the trainer is still working for his private company, or the sergeant still working for the PAPD after this is over and done with, I think it will only go to show how unions need to be scaled back immensely. I believe there is nothing short of union skullduggery that can save either one of them.
Of course, the greater part of the fault, I would think, would go to the officer for ordering the hatch to be opened and to the vessel's overall commander. Imagine being in charge of a boat, or boat's crew, and losing the boat because you ordered the crew to open a hatch that was submerged (as in under water)! How he even could have considered that advice, from a so called civilian safety instructor, is beyond my comprehension. Even as a little kid, I knew if you pulled the plug out of the bottom of the boat, it was going start to fill with water and probably sink. Just about any good cartoon or slapstick comedy, with boats in it, taught you that.
See:
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/blunder_is_dumb_as_hull_YbkDyUUNo6ksxENXK8alKI
Hat tip to Jay G of MA-rooned where I first read about this incident.
All the best,
Glenn B
