SEALs Rescue Maersk Alabama’s Capt. Phillips

SEALs 3 — Somali Pirates 0

In April 2009, news of U.S. Navy snipers bringing a swift end to the Somalia pirate standoff captivated the world’s attention. After failing to seize the Maersk Alabama, three remaining Somali pirates were shot dead while holding Captain Richard Phillips hostage aboard a powerless lifeboat.

The ship, with a crew of 21 and loaded with 17,000 metric tons of cargo, was bound for Mombasa, Kenya. On April 8, 2009, four pirates boarded the ship and hijacked it. Unknown to the pirates, a dozen of the Alabama’s crew members were members of the Seafarers International Union and had received anti-piracy instruction, including training in small arms, anti-terror, basic safety, first aid, and other security courses.

The crew used brute force to retake control of the ship and overpowered the leader of the pirates. Captain Richard Phillips, 53, then surrendered himself to ensure his crew’s safety. The crew attempted to trade their captured pirate for the captain, but after releasing their prisoner the pirates refused to honor the agreement.

The pirates fled in one of the ship’s covered lifeboats with nine days of food rations, taking Phillips with them. This video is a clip from a Discovery Channel docudrama telling what happened next at sea.