#Dangerous pirate waters free#

The sailor spotted two strange men hauling ship property across the deck and gave chase. The Maersk Visual’s officer of the watch spotted the boat alongside and ordered a sailor to investigate. in a long, wooden boat with a sail and oars. The six pirates who attacked the Maersk Visual, seen here, arrived at the anchored tanker just before 7 a.m. It doesn’t take a speed boat to steal from a ship that’s sitting still. Despite an extensive aerial search, the pirates were never located. A ship-to-ship firefight broke out, with the pirates reeling off more than 50 rounds. Security fired warning shots, and the pirates immediately fired back. The skiff drew closer, and security personnel aboard the North Sea saw that the pirates were armed with AK-47 assault rifles. The British, though far distant, replied that they would immediately dispatch a military helicopter. The ship’s master sent a distress signal to the UK Maritime Trade Operation, a Royal Navy fleet that runs anti-pirate patrols in the Gulf of Aden.

Shortly after, the men saw a small skiff about 1.5 nautical miles away and closing in at 20 knots. Crewmembers aboard the North Sea were already on alert after spotting a suspicious dhow-a wooden sailing vessel that pirates sometimes use as a “mother ship”-in the vicinity. Their successful efforts came at a horrific price, however: Three security team members were shot, one of them losing his life. A vicious fight ensued and went on for 20 minutes before the security team finally drove off the attackers. The security team took positions on PM Salem’s stern and returned fire. The ship’s master opened up his throttle, fired off a distress message and ordered all crew except for himself and the onboard security team to a safe room. The interlopers were armed with machine guns, and began firing on PM Salem, pictured, as they chased the Honduran vessel. PM Salem was underway about 25 nautical miles southwest of Bayelsa, Nigeria, when pirates in a boat approached quickly from the rear of the vessel. Two warships responding to MSC Jasmine’s distress signal, the American USS Halyburton and French FS Surcouf, intercepted the skiff and caught its mother ship to boot. The pirates retreated, but didn’t get far. The master of MSC Jasmine raised an alert, sent most of his sailors to the ship’s citadel, and ordered his security team to return fire. Shortly afterward, the attackers opened fire with automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades. The mostly Ukrainian crew of MSC Jasmine was underway in broad daylight when six pirates in a skiff began chasing their ship. Somalian piracy isn’t as widespread as it was five years ago, but it’s still a serious problem.

#Dangerous pirate waters free#

The six pirates, with their contraband, escaped into the night, free to attack again. Indonesian authorities were informed, but as is often the case, their efforts were too little, too late. The sound frightened the pirates, who fled. The raiding may have distracted the pirates, however, as the sailor managed to free himself and take off on foot toward the bridge. They then turned to the ship’s stores and began to plunder. The robbers swiped his walkie-talkie, thrust him to the deck and bound him. The pirates noticed the sailor as well, and attacked him as he tried to contact the ship’s bridge on a handheld radio. A sailor on duty spotted the men, who were armed with guns and knives. at Belawan Anchorage, the docked Rudolf Schulte, was boarded by six pirates who climbed aboard using a long bamboo pole topped with a metal hook. Indonesia’s 17,500 islands and their surrounding waters now take the title as the world’s most heavily pirated.

Below are the world’s most pirate-infested waters, and an individual attack from each place. National navies have become much more active in the fight against piracy, and commercial tankers and cargo vessels increasingly employ armed security-a concept that was rare and even discouraged in many maritime circles as recently as 2008.Īs greater arms have come to bear against the pirates, the maritime brigands have honed their tactics and beefed up their armament as well. Also changed are the tactics used to combat piracy.