Somali hijacking: Key similarities to earlier case
Saturday, February 19, 2011
It is becoming a familiar tale of the Somali seas: A retired couple sets out for the trip of a lifetime, sailing the world and sharing adventures of meeting people, seeing exotic locales and experiencing the thrill of being totally free.
This is what drew Jean and Scott Adam, an American couple from Southern California who have been sailing the globe for the past six years, to steer toward the Somali coast.
"Djibouti is a big refueling stop," Jean Adam, a retired dentist, wrote on the couple's website. "I have NO idea what will happen in these ports, but perhaps we'll do some local touring."
But Friday afternoon, their adventure took a hazardous turn when pirates hijacked their sailboat, attacking several hundred miles off the coast of Oman, the U.S. military said. Also onboard were Phyllis Macay and Robert Riggle of Seattle, according to Scott Stolnitz, a friend of the Adams.
Their case is similar to that of Paul and Rachel Chandler, sailors from a London suburb seeking adventure in 2009. Their boat was hijacked by Somali gunmen, who held them for ransom for more than a year.
Maritime analysts in East Africa said that a notorious pirate gang from northern Somalia had captured the Americans and was taking them to one of their many lairs. Somalia has languished without a functioning central government for more than 20 years, and once pirates take hostages back to their dens, there are very few options for a rescue.
U.S. military officials would not indicate their next move. But the last time Americans were hijacked by Somali pirates, the Navy sent several warships, and a SEALs team ended up shooting three pirates dead, capturing a fourth and freeing an American merchant marine captain - all at sea.
The Associated Press reported that the Adams - who are members of the Del Rey Yacht Club in Marina del Rey (Los Angeles County) - have been distributing Bibles in the Fiji Islands, Central America and French Polynesia.
This is what drew Jean and Scott Adam, an American couple from Southern California who have been sailing the globe for the past six years, to steer toward the Somali coast.
"Djibouti is a big refueling stop," Jean Adam, a retired dentist, wrote on the couple's website. "I have NO idea what will happen in these ports, but perhaps we'll do some local touring."
But Friday afternoon, their adventure took a hazardous turn when pirates hijacked their sailboat, attacking several hundred miles off the coast of Oman, the U.S. military said. Also onboard were Phyllis Macay and Robert Riggle of Seattle, according to Scott Stolnitz, a friend of the Adams.
Their case is similar to that of Paul and Rachel Chandler, sailors from a London suburb seeking adventure in 2009. Their boat was hijacked by Somali gunmen, who held them for ransom for more than a year.
Maritime analysts in East Africa said that a notorious pirate gang from northern Somalia had captured the Americans and was taking them to one of their many lairs. Somalia has languished without a functioning central government for more than 20 years, and once pirates take hostages back to their dens, there are very few options for a rescue.
U.S. military officials would not indicate their next move. But the last time Americans were hijacked by Somali pirates, the Navy sent several warships, and a SEALs team ended up shooting three pirates dead, capturing a fourth and freeing an American merchant marine captain - all at sea.
The Associated Press reported that the Adams - who are members of the Del Rey Yacht Club in Marina del Rey (Los Angeles County) - have been distributing Bibles in the Fiji Islands, Central America and French Polynesia.
This article appeared on page A - 5 of the San Francisco Chronicle
Comments