River cruise captain in Belgium found intoxicated
Belgian and Dutch river police discovered a Swiss river cruise boat captain with markedly elevated blood alcohol levels during a check at the Albert Canal.
River cruise captain in Belgium found intoxicated
During a large-scale joint control operation conducted by Belgian and Dutch authorities on the Albert Canal in Belgium, the captain of a Swiss river cruise boat was found to have a blood alcohol level exceeding the permitted limit. The operation was carried out by the Antwerp maritime police in collaboration with De Vlaamse Waterweg and the Flemish waste management authority OVAM, as reported by The Maritime Executive.
In total, the authorities stopped ten vessels – nine cargo ships and one river cruise boat. In addition to operational aspects such as waste and water management, all crew members were subjected to a routine alcohol test. For river and maritime ship captains, the same blood alcohol limit applies as for car drivers in Belgium: 0.5 grammes per litre of blood.
The Swiss captain clearly exceeded this limit. River police established that he had "clearly drunk too much". As a result, he was immediately removed from his post and his licence was revoked. Furthermore, a fine from the Flemish waterway authority was threatened.
At the time of the check, the cruise boat was carrying 106 passengers on board and was sailing from Antwerp to Maastricht. As another person on board was able to take command, the vessel was permitted to continue its journey. Three cargo ships also received warnings, as not all of their permits were valid.
In Austria, regulations for navigation are stricter than in Belgium. In commercial navigation, the limit is set at 0.1 grammes per litre of blood or 0.05 milligrammes per litre of exhaled air.
Source: Google News AT — Crime (de)