The Coast Guard has arrested the captain of a container ship in Seattle on suspicion of boating under the influence.
The captain was aboard a 333-meter container ship operating under the Liberian flag, according to a Saturday press release from the Coast Guard.
On Wednesday, the pilot on board notified the Coast Guard that the captain was exhibiting signs of intoxication. The pilot and first mate operated the container ship from an anchorage near Everett to Terminal 5 at the Port of Seattle, docking without incident.
Upon mooring, agents from the Coast Guard Investigative Service boarded the ship and initiated a field sobriety and Breathalyzer tests. The investigators found the captain was impaired more than six times the legal limit" for commercial mariners, according to the press release.
The agency did not release the identity or any details about the captain or crew.
The captain was arrested and taken to King County Jail. A decision whether to charge the captain is up to the King County prosecutor.
The Coast Guard detained the container ship until a relief captain was identified. It has since cleared the vessel to resume operations.
The "immediate intervention of the pilot who operated the ship to the Port of Seattle terminal “mitigated significant risks and ensured the safe passage of the vessel,” Paul Shultz, special agent in charge at the Coast Guard Investigative Service Northwest Field Office, said in a statement.
The investigation into the incident continues, according to the Coast Guard’s release.
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