At the Alaska Marine Highway System Auke Bay terminal in Juneau, an unidentified man driving a Toyota Tundra truck at high speeds bypassed the staging line and boarded the car deck of the M/V LeConte at around 6:20 a.m. on Wednesday, February 10. The vessel was ready to load passengers and vehicles for the scheduled sailing to Pelican.
According to a press release from the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, the following are approximate times of the incident as it unfolded and the response:
- 6:20 a.m. – Crew and shore side leadership were informed of the initial incident. The truck bypassed the purser without checking in and at high speeds, nearly colliding with another vehicle and container. Once the truck was stationary, an unidentified man, later confirmed to be unticketed, exited the vehicle and was heard by crew “muttering about a bomb and firearms” while trying to get back into the vehicle he had seemingly locked. Crew backed immediately away and executed the response plan to secure vessel and make a plan to evacuate any personnel and passengers.
- 6:35 a.m. – Juneau Police Department arrived on the scene and eventually removed the unidentified man from the scene, taking him into custody. JPD conducted a sweep of the truck and determined there were no immediate threats. From that information the Captain of the M/V LeConte notifies personnel to stay aboard the vessel, halting their evacuation.
- 6:45 a.m. – U.S. Coast Guard is notified of the situation and deploys assistance.
- 7:30 a.m. – Tow truck arrived to remove Toyota Tundra, waiting for animal control to come assist with a dog in the vehicle left by the unidentified driver who was taken into custody.
- 8:00 a.m. – Truck was towed off the vessel.
- 8:13 a.m. – U. S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement team arrived to the vessel to initiate an investigation and sweep the area for any ongoing or unidentified threats.
The LeConte has since been cleared by the U.S. Coast Guard after a security sweep was completed. The vessel had nine bookings for passage to Pelican – eight vehicles and seven people. Those bookings will be rescheduled for those still wishing to sail to Pelican on Saturday, February 13. The normal compliment of crew aboard the LeConte is approximately 23.
