http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=7287055&page=1American Crew Overpowers Somali Pirates
Captain Held Hostage Despite Crew Overpowering Pirates to Regain Control of Vessel
By LUIS MARTINEZ, DANA HUGHES, MARTHA RADDATZ and ZOE MAGEE
NAIROBI, Kenya, April 8, 2009
The captain of a ship hijacked by armed Somali pirates is being held hostage today despite the fact that the crew of American sailors overpowered the pirates to regain control of their vessel.
A crew member told CNN this afternoon that the captain is on the ship's lifeboat with negotiations ongoing. He said the crew tried to exchange the captain for a captive pirate, but apparently the pirates reneged on the deal.
The crew had turned the tables on the pirates who hijacked their ship after a high seas chase. Once overpowered by the crew, the pirates tried to board their skiff, but the motor wasn't working, a Defense Department official told ABC News. The pirates are now in one of the ship's lifeboats with the ship's captain in their custody.
The Defense official added that there are no pirates on board the ship.
The pirates picked on the wrong ship when they went after the Maersk Alabama, a 17,000 ton container ship carrying relief aid to Mombasa, Kenya.
