Lawsuit says grounded vessel’s captain left bridge unwatched

HONOLULU — A lawsuit filed by the federal government says the captain of a fishing vessel that ran aground on Oahu left the bridge unattended for hours.

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Tuesday that the government is suing the company that owns Pacific Paradise for the $1.6 million cost of removing the threat of fuel discharge.

The lawsuit filed Thursday in U.S. District Court names TWOL LLC and company officers Nguyen Ngoc Tran and Loi Chi Hang as defendants.

An attorney for TWOL did not respond to a request for comment.

The filing says the Pacific Paradise arrived at Honolulu Harbor in October 2017 but was not immediately cleared to enter port.

The lawsuit says Tran stopped the vessel offshore and went below deck before the ship drifted and grounded on a reef.

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Information from: Honolulu Star-Advertiser, http://www.staradvertiser.com