With a blood alcohol content level six times the legal limit for seafarers, a container ship captain was arrested on suspicion of operating the ship while intoxicated.
According to a Coast Guard news release on Saturday, the captain of the 333-meter container ship MSC Jubilee IX, which is flying the Liberian flag, was taken into custody in Seattle on Wednesday. The identity of the captain was kept a secret.
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The Coast Guard watchstanders were informed by a Puget Sound pilot on board that the captain was showing signs of intoxication. According to the announcement, the pilot and first mate successfully navigated the ship from the area of Everett, Washington, to the Port of Seattle.
A Coast Guard team and officials from the Coast Guard Investigative Service boarded the ship after it moored at Terminal 5.
The skipper was determined to be more than six times the legal limit for commercial seamen after completing a field sobriety and breathalyzer test, the guard stated.
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A person operating a vessel other than a recreational vessel with a blood alcohol content of.04% or above is deemed to be intoxicated under federal law.
After being taken into custody, the captain was sent to the King County Jail. The matter is still being investigated after charges of boating while intoxicated were forwarded to the King County Prosecutor. A request for comment was not immediately answered by the prosecutor’s office.
According to the Coast Guard, the ship has been authorized to continue operations after being assigned a relief skipper.
Paul Shultz, Special Agent in Charge of the CGIS Northwest Field Office, said in a statement that the Coast Guard is honored to protect the maritime transportation sector. The pilot’s prompt action reduced serious dangers and guaranteed the ship’s safe journey.
