A young German waiter endured the ultimate professional nightmare when he accidentally poured a tray full of beer over Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Video of the incident, which circulated widely on German news websites overnight, showed the unfortunate 21-year-old, identified only by his first name, Martin, serving Europe’s most powerful woman at a Christian Democratic Union meeting in Demmin, northeast Germany, last week.
But disaster struck when the waiter went to place a tall glass of beer on Merkel’s table.
He lost his balance, let the tray slip, and sent four glasses of beer down the back of the chancellor’s neck and black coat.
Her shocked companions on the table frantically tried to help clean up and offered a dry coat, but the unflappable Merkel shrugged off the incident and was soon enjoying the beer as it was meant to be served.
The waiter told the Bild tabloid that he was still reliving the incident in slow motion.