SAN FRANCISCO — A German national has been charged in federal court with sneaking onto a container ship at the Port of Oakland in the hopes of catching a ride to South Korea to be with his pregnant wife.
According to court documents, Andreas Guenther in September rowed in an inflatable raft through the port to the Hong Kong-registered Cosco Oceania.
He was able to board the ship undetected, but was discovered by crew members a short time later and removed by the Coast Guard.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported Tuesday (http://bit.ly/1vDWOWT) that Guenther has been charged with being a stowaway on a vessel.
Guenther reportedly told the Coast Guard that he attempted the oceanic voyage because his passport had expired, and he did not want to wait to get a new one before traveling to see his wife.
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Information from: San Francisco Chronicle, http://www.sfgate.com
AP-WF-12-10-14 1321GMT
