The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Down Range Cafe => Topic started by: Hazcat on April 25, 2009, 07:11:56 AM
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Engineer on ship seized by pirates says crew tried to rescue captain
By Jessica Vander Velde, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Saturday, April 25, 2009
RIVERVIEW (FL) — Capt. Richard Phillips may have been brave when Somali pirates hijacked the ship he was navigating through the Indian Ocean. But he did not offer himself as a hostage to save his crew.
That story, widely disseminated by media and celebrated on social networking sites, isn't true, said the ship's chief engineer, Michael Perry, who lives in Riverview.
And although it has inspired a nation and fueled virtual fan groups, Perry, 60, wants people to know the truth. The real account is much more complicated.
It isn't Phillips' fault, Perry said. The rumors started when he was still a hostage.
A woman who picked up the phone at Phillips' house said they weren't talking to reporters.
Instead, Perry wants to tell the story of the crew, the men who were almost baked alive in an unventilated room as pirates roamed the ship. Those men worked hard to save their captain, Perry said, even though they suffered from heat exhaustion.
It all started when a siren went off just before 7 a.m. on April 8.
The pirates were closing in on the ship, the Maersk Alabama.
"One pirate's on board," Phillips called out over the radio.
A pause.
"Two pirates are on board."
Then, "the bridge has been compromised."
Phillips and three others had been taken hostage. The pirates had AK-47s, and the crew was unarmed.
Perry shut down the controls, the electricity, the ventilation. Everything. The corridors became dark. He had to count his steps and hold out his arms to get around.
Most of the crew hid in a secure room. Perry and a few others grabbed food and makeshift weapons and spied on the pirates, communicating over ever-changing radio frequencies.
The pirates were getting frustrated. They wanted the rest of the crew.
A few hours later, hostage crewman A.T.M. Reza and a pirate walked near Perry. The pirate was searching for the crew, and he had brought Reza to help him.
Perry said he tried to sneak up from behind to tackle the pirate, but the pirate saw him and chased him. Perry hid around a dark corner and grabbed the man when he got close. He held the pirate's right hand tight and pressed a pocketknife to his throat.
The serrated edge pressed into his jugular.
"He was screaming and screaming," Perry said.
His instinct was to kill, but Perry said he didn't because the pirate was submissive.
Instead, Reza and Perry tied the captive up and put him in the room with the rest of the crew.
When the pirates heard, they were furious, Perry said. They demanded to talk to him over the radio. Perry allowed a quick exchange.
Up on the bridge, a deal was made.
The plan: The pirates would hand over Phillips in exchange for the captured pirate, the man who Perry now believes was the leader. His name is Abdiwali Abdiqadir Muse, and he later surrendered and is now in New York facing international criminal charges.
The pirates got into another boat with Phillips, and Muse was brought to them. The problem: The pirates didn't return Phillips to the ship.
When the pirates were gone, the crew came out of hiding, drenched in sweat, and regained control of the ship. The room they had been in was at least 120 degrees, Perry said.
"Every one of them should have been admitted to the emergency room," Perry said. They seemed to suffer from heat exhaustion and dehydration, he said.
But no one complained. They tried to chase the pirates to get Phillips back, Perry said. Eventually, the Navy got involved and told the crew to leave for security reasons. They headed to Mombasa, Kenya.
After four days, Navy SEAL sharpshooters killed the pirates and Phillips was rescued. He and many of the other crewmen were welcomed back to the United States as heroes.
Perry tried to fly under the radar. The only reason he's telling his story now is so the truth is told and the crew gets credit, he said at his Riverview home, as he lounged in the sun.
He was back in his ranch-style house, tanning in his red Speedo swim trunks. He had just returned from a ride on his plush Goldwing motorcycle.
He's enjoying the three months off before he heads back to work in the merchant marine. He doesn't plan to retire for at least another three years, although his children worry about him.
He'll probably spend part of his time off traveling to New York on his beloved motorcycle. He wants to trace the history of his religion, that of the Latter-day Saints.
And maybe he'll learn an instrument — the piano or guitar, he said. He just wants to do something out of the ordinary.
"It's time to learn something new in life," he said.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/humaninterest/article995260.ece
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He was back in his ranch-style house, tanning in his red Speedo swim trunks.
The story sounds very plausible, but why did they need this lil detail?? :-\
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The story sounds very plausible, but why did they need this lil detail?? :-\
That and the 'plush motorcycle' is so you will hopefully (in the MSMs eyes) question his story.
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Interesting...
The Engineer, from the Control Room can institute a "Dead Ship". No Generators, No Main Engines, in essence shut the ship off..
However, unless the boat was poorly maintained, there is emergency lighting that kicks on, albeit not much. From a Battery/Inverter bank, also called a UPS (uninterrupted power supply) tied into the Ship monitoring system, these ships don;t like being shut off and alarms and bells and sirens would have been going off.
Also there "should be flashlight stations" all over, the nice Maglite kind, aka Rodney King Versions also. That's a fine noodle knocker right there.
I guess the crew reacted with the situation that confronted them.
1 or 2 .45's and a 12g, sure would have been nice...
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question his story? he's a chief ENGINEER. no question here. 90% of the engineers I know have a good head on their shoulders. (myself being one).
as I was leaving the ship I was talking to one of our ABs (that's an 'able bodied seamen') that had sailed with this captain before and his guess was that the crew probably gave the captain away. apparently not the nicest guy to work for. I can see that. I just left a 'captain' that really shouldn't be a captain. but I also realize that most,,,or all, seamen change when they leave home. we are all different people when we get out to sea and or in different situations (crisis). SO.... though I would not judge the capt. by another man's opinion, I do believe what the chief engineer is saying. also, I do know one of the crew on the Alabama. haven't spoken to him yet but will try to get ahold of him soon.
twyacht,
backup systems- we recieved an email (fleetwide) from the ship while they were on the way to Mombasa, explaining how they did it. first, they shut down all fuel supplies, generators, emergency generator, main engine, etc. and disabled ALL electrical. battery backup lighting, though common, is not required if they have an emergency generator with a dedicated swithcboard and lightin circuit. as I say, they disabled that. as far as flashlights, I sleep with one beside my bed in case of an emergency and everyone I work with has one handy. If he didn't use one I think it may have been to avoid detection from the pirates. these men obviously were thinking of self preservation during the whole ordeal.
deepwater
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Thank you for the INFORMED opinion Deepwater, I knew we could count on you to get us straight info. ;D
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Thank you for the INFORMED opinion Deepwater, I knew we could count on you to get us straight info.
though 'informed' I realize all ships are different and operate differently. but, I also know that any engineer worth a damn carries a flashlight, wrench, and screwdriver while on watch, and everything within easy reach when they're off. too many of us have had to get up in the middle of the night to the sounds of alarms and had to function at 100% as we hit the deck running. I cannot say that anyones opinion here is 'uninformed' because we all come from different backgrounds and experiences, maybe we should say it's just a 'different point of view', and I'm always ready to listen to what someone else has to say, as a fresh view is sometimes all that's needed to see the truth.
deepwater
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Why are our ships and crew unarmed and defenseless against these hoodlums? It is criminal, screw international law!! >:(
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I think I always have, at a minimum, a flashlight, my Gerber multi-tool and a pocketknife....I can't think of a day since I turned seven or eight that I didn't use a pocket knife for something......feel nekked without it...
I'm sure most of you are no different...there are just some things that ya never leave home without...
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there are just some things that ya never leave home without...
Yup. Pocket knife and a sidearm.
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Why are our ships and crew unarmed and defenseless against these hoodlums? It is criminal, screw international law!! >:(
Because the gun control nuts reach into everything. Apparently insurance for a ship with an armed crew is much more expensive than for a unarmed one, and some ports won't allow a ship with an armed crew to berth.
To both those situations, I say,"concealed is concealed." I figure if you wipe out a pirate crew, who's going to report them missing?
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Thanks deepwater, They shut the ship off in short order, not an easy task by any means, from my end on the service side, I have to regularly deal with the "nuts & bolts" hands on Chief Engineers, 2nd, and sometimes 3rd.
They have their heads on straight, and know the ship better than any Capt. Her "perks" so to speak. When she's having a good day or bad.
I really appreciate your being the "pro" and giving us the skinny. I certainly was not questioning what the crew did by any means. None of us were there, and to armchair quarterback is not IMHO the right thing to do.
I still think having at least 1 or 3 .45's in a locked compartment, "in case of emergency" with firearms training for the crew, can make a world of difference. If transporting dangerous or volatile cargo, maybe Glaser rds, frangible, 12g bean bags? something?
If the PC world won;t let us bolt 50's to the deck, maybe a couple Rem. Marine Magnums and .45's, with a trained crew, can stop this crap.
Thanks again
Tom W.
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twyacht, thanks, I'm certainly glad we can discuss just about any subject in the world on this forum and find that somebody has first hand knowledge of the subject or issue at had. as i said, other peoples opinions are just like mine, they're still opinions, but a fresh look at a subject can be an eye opener as well. I know you have experience on large yachts etc so I hope I don't sound like a dick when I chime in and comment.
deepwater