Passenger vessel runs aground in eastern Finland after captain’s navigation error

The passenger ship M/S Sergei ran aground near Valamo Monastery in Heinävesi on Tuesday after the captain admitted making a steering mistake, Finnish public broadcaster Yle reports. All 27 passengers were safely evacuated, with no injuries reported.

The vessel’s owner, Mika Mäkelä, inspected the damage on Wednesday and confirmed the grounding was minor. Preliminary assessments suggest the iron-reinforced keel sustained no serious harm. “The ship slid onto a smooth rock and got stuck. The hull is reinforced, so likely no damage occurred,” Mäkelä told Yle.

Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom will decide whether the ship’s condition can be verified by divers or if dry-docking is required. The M/S Sergei, over 40 years old, had operated without prior incidents endangering passengers.

The next scheduled charter cruises are set to begin next Tuesday, with the main season starting the week before Midsummer. Mäkelä acknowledged the financial impact of the accident but emphasized the importance of mandatory annual safety inspections. “It makes you think—it’s good that these checks are required when people’s safety is at stake,” he said.

Rescue operations involved three boats, and authorities stressed that while waterways remain safe, challenging conditions—such as the strong winds on Tuesday—can lead to errors. “This should be taken calmly, as one experience among others. The captain will certainly reconsider his decisions next time,” Mäkelä added.