'Ever Forward' Captain Has License Suspended After Grounding Ship In Chesapeake Bay

By FOX45
Posted on 12/06/22 | News Source: FOX45

The operating license of the "Ever Forward" captain who steered the container ship into the muddy bottom of the Chesapeake Bay this past spring has been suspended, according to the Maryland Department of Labor.

The ship was finally freed in mid-April, more than a month after it ran aground.

“After thorough review of evidence and expert analysis in the investigation of the March 13, 2022 grounding of the MV Ever Forward, the Maryland Board of Pilots (Board), in a unanimous decision, voted to summarily suspend the operating license of Captain Steven Germac on October 20, 2022, and formally notified Captain Germac by letter dated October 21, 2022,” said Maryland Department of Labor Chief Strategy Officer Joseph E. Farren.

As part of the Board’s statutory process, Germac will be afforded an opportunity for a hearing to formally challenge the Board’s decision in this matter. He has not piloted a commercial vessel since March 13, 2022, Farren said.

The cargo ship, operated by Taiwan-based Evergreen Marine Corp., was traveling from Baltimore to Norfolk, Virginia, on March 13, when it ran aground just north of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.