After lower than per week of working and residing onboard Norwegian Encore, a crew member has ended his profession at sea.
In accordance with a launch from the U.S. Division of Justice and a felony affidavit from the FBI, Ntando Sogoni of South Africa was arrested after allegedly attacking a number of individuals aboard the Breakaway-class ship.
The incident, which occurred on the morning of Monday, Could 6, 2024, occurred after the 35-year-old crew member was seen making an attempt to deploy a lifeboat for no clear motive.
Members of the ship’s safety staff took Sogoni to the onboard medical middle to be mentally and bodily assessed, the place he bodily assaulted a safety guard and a male nurse inside an examination room.
The scuffle then moved to a different examination room, the place Sogoni attacked a 75-year-old lady with a pair of medical scissors, inflicting accidents to her arm, hand, and face. He then wounded two extra safety guards who intervened to detain the crew member earlier than he was safely confined within the onboard jail.
Price Studying: Juneau Cruise Port, Alaska – Overview and Information
The victims’ names haven’t been launched to guard their privateness, however authorities say the accidents weren’t life threatening.
The subsequent morning, on Could 7, the crew member was taken into custody by the FBI shortly after the three,998-guest ship docked in Juneau, Alaska. Sogoni’s arrest got here simply two days after he joined the ship in Seattle, Washington, on Sunday, Could 5.
The FBI charged Sagoni with assault with a harmful weapon inside maritime and territorial jurisdiction. If convicted, he faces as much as 10 years in jail and a $250,000 fantastic for every depend. A federal district court docket decide will decide his sentence at a later date.
For now, the case is being investigated by the FBI Anchorage Discipline Workplace, FBI Juneau Resident Company, and U.S. Coast Guard. Assistant U.S. Lawyer Jack Schmidt is main the prosecution.
No Additional Hazard Onboard Norwegian Encore
Though occasions like this are surprising, they’re very uncommon and never sometimes one thing to be frightened about. Whereas it’s at all times good to stay conscious of 1’s environment, cruise ships are typically fairly protected, and often possess their very own onboard safety groups and firefighting divisions.
Public areas are additionally sometimes monitored with surveillance cameras, permitting safety staff members to answer crises shortly and effectively.
Moreover, crew members sometimes undergo an intense interview and coaching course of, which is supposed to weed out the dangerous seeds earlier than they make it onboard. Of the roughly 1,735 crew members onboard Norwegian Encore, solely Sogoni posed an issue and he was shortly detained and eliminated.
In an interview with KTOO, Juneau’s native information station, FBI Public Affairs Officer Chloe Martin confirmed that there is no such thing as a additional hazard onboard Norwegian Encore.
“This was an remoted incident, and there’s no risk to different passengers,” mentioned Martin.
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With Sogoni eliminated, the 169,116-gross ton vessel can keep on with its Alaska season. As of the time of publication, no delays or itinerary modifications have been introduced on account of the alleged assault.
From now till October, Norwegian Encore will likely be providing 7-night cruises to Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay, and Ketchikan in Alaska, in addition to Victoria, British Columbia. All sailings are round-trip from Seattle, Washington.
Norwegian Encore can also be solely considered one of 5 ships the cruise line despatched to the area for the busy 2024 season. Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian Jewel, Norwegian Solar, and Norwegian Spirit are all crusing to Alaska not less than as soon as all through the summer season.
