A captain was breathalysed after his cargoship grounded twice off Latvia.

The LETA news agency said the incident involved the 9,300-dwt Hadeland (built 2011) on Saturday evening.

The Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Riga received information from the port's vessel traffic centre that the vessel had grounded on a shoal.

A coast guard ship was sent to the scene, but no pollution or injuries were reported and Hadeland refloated under its own power.

Less than an hour later, however, the coast guard informed the MRCC of the re-grounding of the vessel.

The Coast Guard team boarded the ship for a more detailed inspection, and a breath test on the captain detected the presence of alcohol.

The vessel was ordered into Riga, where an investigation began.

AIS shows the vessel underway off Latvia on Monday. It is operated by Tom Worden of Germany, which has been contacted for comment.