A recent incident aboard the Norwegian Encore, a Norwegian Cruise Line vessel, led to the arrest of a crew member accused of attacking three individuals with medical scissors. The employee, identified as 35-year-old Ntando Sogoni from South Africa, had recently joined the ship in Seattle for a weeklong voyage to Alaska.
The alleged events unfolded west of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Late Sunday evening, ship personnel observed Sogoni attempting to deploy a lifeboat. He was escorted to the ship’s medical center for evaluation, where he reportedly became irrational and attempted to leave. During this episode, Sogoni allegedly attacked a security guard and a nurse, then grabbed a pair of scissors and stabbed a 75-year-old female passenger multiple times in the arm, hand, and face. Two security guards who intervened sustained injuries; one was stabbed in the head, and the other in the back and shoulders. Fortunately, none of the injuries were life-threatening.
Following the incident, Sogoni was detained in the ship’s jail. Upon the ship’s arrival in Juneau, Alaska, on Tuesday, he was arrested by FBI agents. Sogoni faces charges of assault with a dangerous weapon within maritime and territorial jurisdiction. If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count.
Norwegian Cruise Line has stated that the safety and security of their guests and crew are their highest priority and that they are cooperating fully with authorities investigating the incident.
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