Maryland board suspended captain's license over cargo ship stranded in Chesapeake Bay for weeks

BALTIMORE -- The Maryland Board of Pilots voted unanimously in October to suspend the operating license of Captain Steven Germac, the state's Department of Labor said Tuesday. Germac manned the Ever Forward, a cargo ship that was stuck in the Chesapeake Bay for weeks this year. 

The Ever Forward ran aground 24 feet deep into the mud on March 13. It was finally rescued via a 35-day-long salvage operation, which involved dredging at least 84,000 cubic yards of mud from around the vessel, according to authorities.  

Germac was the pilot of the ship at the time of the grounding, Maryland Department of Labor Chief Strategy Officer Joseph Farren said in a statement Tuesday. He has not piloted a commercial vessel since the day the ship ran aground.

The board's October decision came after a "thorough review of evidence and expert analysis in the investigation" of the grounding, Farren said.

The captain will have a chance to formally challenge the board's decision in a hearing, Farren said.

It is unclear whether the suspension impacts Germac's abilities outside of the state's purview.