Pinoy seamen outsmart armed hijackers
By Michaela P. del Callar 11/05/2010Eight Filipino seafarers were able to escape a piracy attack when it outsmarted armed brigands who attempted to hijack their vessel late last month.
German vessel MV Beluga Fortune was boarded by Somali pirates on Oct. 24 while the vessel was sailing in the Indian Ocean en route to Richards Bay, South Africa. The vessel had 16 crewmembers, eight of them Filipinos.
They sent out a distress call, cut off the ship’s fuel supply, shut down all the power on the bridge and hid in a safe room before they could be overwhelmed by the pirates. The crew hid below deck for two days.
Unable to take charge of the ship or hold any crew member hostage, the pirates were forced to abandon the vessel after stealing some personal belongings of the crew which were left inside the cabins.
A seafarer also called the local manning agency and reported what happened, which also helped in alerting American and British naval ships in the area. The vessels escorted the MV Beluga Fortune to safety as it proceeded toward Richards Bay..... MORE
Source: The Daily Tribune
URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/nation/20101105nat2.html
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