Cruise ship worker arrested after scissors attack in waters off British Columbia

A cruise ship worker from South Africa who was accused of attacking a woman and two security guards with a pair of scissors aboard the ship was arrested in Alaska’s capital on Tuesday, authorities said.

According to the US Attorney’s Office, the man is accused of assault with a dangerous weapon in the maritime and territorial jurisdiction. Online court records show no attorney for the 35-year-old.

According to an affidavit from FBI Special Agent Matthew Judy, the man was recently hired by a cruise line and boarded the ship, the Norwegian Encore, in Seattle on Sunday. That day, the ship set off on a week-long voyage with planned stops at Alaskan ports, including the capital Juneau and British Columbia.

The alleged incident occurred west of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, as the ship was heading to Alaska. According to the affidavit, ship personnel saw the man attempting to launch a lifeboat on Sunday evening and he was taken by security to a medical center for evaluation.

There he “became irrational and attempted to leave” and “physically attacked” a guard and a nurse, the affidavit said. He ran into another room, grabbed a pair of scissors and stabbed a woman who was being examined and two guards who tried to intervene before he was subdued and held in a “ship prison,” the affidavit said. None of the injuries were considered life-threatening.

The ship arrived in Juneau on Tuesday when he was arrested by the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

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