A Ukrainian man has pleaded guilty to being intoxicated while operating a cargo ship in San Francisco Bay, the U.S. attorney’s office announced Friday.
Vadim Humenyuk, 51, of Izmail acknowledged that he was under the influence while serving as master, or head officer, of the Rainbow Quest on Dec. 10, authorities said.
The 590-foot-long (180-meter-long) Gibraltar-flagged bulk carrier had fueled up in the bay and was preparing to sail to South Korea when a bar pilot — who helps navigate ships through the harbor — notified the Coast Guard that Humenyuk appeared to be intoxicated.
Humenyuk failed sobriety tests and was charged with a misdemeanor of operating a non-recreational vessel under the influence of alcohol, authorities said.
Humenyuk could face up to a year jail and a $100,000 fine.
