Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
U.S. Navy Destroyer Tracks Pirates And Their U.S. Hostage
By
Jen Chung
Published Apr 9, 2009
Modified Apr 9, 2009
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Apr 9, 2009
Modified Apr 9, 2009
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Yesterday, a group of Somali pirates seized control of the American container ship Maersk Alabama off the coast of Africa. Though the crew managed to regain control of the ship (hence today's Post cover), the NY Times reports, "the pirates were still holding the ship’s captain as they fled the ship in an unpowered lifeboat."
Now a U.S. naval warship is monitoring the lifeboat, which is in the Indian Ocean, and the Navy says other warships are en route. The Maersk line released a statement, "We are working closely with all involved government agencies, particularly the U.S. Navy, which has arrived on the scene and is taking the lead in working toward the captain's release," which the Washington Post says suggests that Captain Richard Philips is unharmed.
This is the first time a ship with an American crew has been hijacked in the Horn of Africa. The hijacking of the ship has prompted cruises to change their routes—Staten Island resident is currently on a cruise near Kenya; Margaret Flynn wrote to the Advance, "In addition to the changes in route, another precaution is that security personnel are posted at strategic points on the ship scanning the sea on four-hour watches. Of course, the ship has radar and other surveillance detection devices, but these small pirate craft may not be detected by these."
And local merchant marine academies do discuss piracy, though SUNY Maritime College professor Larry Howard points out, "The kind of resources [merchant mariners] have available to fight off pirates like those in Somalia, who have rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons, are somewhat unbalanced." Howard tells Newsday that the merchant mariners use high-pressure hoses to ward off pirates.
Tagged
Alabama Maersk
cruise
destroyer
navy
pirate
ship
somali pirate
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
New York Public Radio CEO steps down after 8 months on job
Chief executive Christy Tanner is resigning after just eight months at the helm. New York Public Radio is the parent organization for WNYC and Gothamist.
By
Liam Quigley
Published Oct 13, 2026 at 9:03 a.m. ET
Early Addition: Can't stop the sticker bombers
Because the one influencer who tried removing them got dragged, here are your early links: Upper West Side woman adopts a lot of dogs, Big Apple Triathlon returned, "NCIS" lands in New York and more.
By
James Ramsay
News
Early Addition: Can't stop the sticker bombers
Because the one influencer who tried removing them got dragged, here are your early links: Upper West Side woman adopts a lot of dogs, Big Apple Triathlon returned, "NCIS" lands in New York and more.
By
James Ramsay
Cyclist dies in wrong-way crash with an ambulance on Staten Island
By
Brittany Kriegstein
With election 3 weeks away, Hochul and Blakeman to square off in lone NY governor debate
By
Jon Campbell
NYC's taxi union teams with Uber, hedge fund demand healthcare after 4 driver deaths
By
Stephen Nessen
and
Ramsey Khalifeh
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .