US ship in Kenya after hijack drama
A US-flagged container ship that was briefly captured by Somali pirates has arrived in a Kenyan port, as attempts to secure the release of its American captain continue.
Richard Phillips, the captain of the 17,000-tonne Maersk Alabama, is being held in a drifting lifeboat by four armed men who are demanding a $2m ransom for his release.
Phillips' crew hailed him as they arrived in Mombassa on Saturday.
"The captain is a hero," one crew member said. "He saved our lives by giving himself up."
Phillips was taken hostage by the prates after the crew of the Maersk Alabama, which was carrying 5,000 tonnes of UN aid, fought back.
Relatives said Phillips had volunteered to join the pirates in their lifeboat in exchange for the safety of his crew. At one point, he tried to escape by jumping overboard but "didn't get very far," a US official said.
Richard Phillips, the captain of the 17,000-tonne Maersk Alabama, is being held in a drifting lifeboat by four armed men who are demanding a $2m ransom for his release.
Phillips' crew hailed him as they arrived in Mombassa on Saturday.
"The captain is a hero," one crew member said. "He saved our lives by giving himself up."
Phillips was taken hostage by the prates after the crew of the Maersk Alabama, which was carrying 5,000 tonnes of UN aid, fought back.
Relatives said Phillips had volunteered to join the pirates in their lifeboat in exchange for the safety of his crew. At one point, he tried to escape by jumping overboard but "didn't get very far," a US official said.
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