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Pirate Attack - 2001 ZTS - 11-06-2005
Cruise liner Seabourn Spirit attacked by pirates off coast of Somalia
15:46:41 EST Nov 5, 2005
LONDON (CP) - Eighteen Canadians and permanent residents were among more than 300 passengers on board a luxury cruise liner Saturday when pirates fired a rocket-propelled grenade and machine-guns off the coast of the east African country of Somalia, Dan McTeague, the parliamentary secretary for Canadians abroad said Saturday.
One crew member was slightly injured before the attackers were repulsed, Seabourn Cruises said. The 10,000-tonne vessel was only slightly damaged.
The Seabourn Spirit was 160 kilometres off Somalia when the attack took place early Saturday, said Seabourn Cruises spokesman David Dingle.
"The ship's crew immediately initiated a trained response and as a result of protective and evasive measures taken the occupants of the small craft were unable to gain access to the ship," Dingle said.
McTeague said there were no reports indicating any Canadians were injured in the assault.
One of the Canadian passengers, Mike Rogers, of Vancouver, said the shooting started at about 6 a.m. and all the passengers were asked to move to the centre of the boat.
"The captain tried to run one of the boats over . . . he said he was going to do anything to stop them from getting on board, and after trying to run one over he decided the best thing to do was to outrun them," Rogers told radio station CKNW in Vancouver.
Rogers suggested the attackers may have been connected to a nearby cargo ship. He said it was unlikely the men who attacked the Seabourn Spirit could have made it so far off shore in their small boats.
Another passenger who said she was on the ship sent an e-mail to the British Broadcasting Corp. saying that at least three rocket-propelled grenades hit the ship.
"Our captain . . . and the rest of his crew did a wonderful and amazing job getting us out of the area as fast as possible. We had no idea that this ship could move as fast as it did and he did his best to run down the pirates," she said.
Press Association, the British news agency, said passengers were woken by the sound of gunfire Saturday as two 7.5-metre inflatable boats approached the liner and started shooting as their occupants tried to get on aboard. The injured crew member was reportedly hit by flying debris.
Seabourn Cruises said the Seabourn Spirit was on a 16-day cruise out of Alexandria in Egypt and was on its way to Mombasa in Kenya when it was attacked.
Dingle said the crew managed to remain calm, but "the passengers were somewhat surprised and shocked because it happened at 5:30 in the morning and they were woken," he explained.
"The passengers were mustered in a public room, told what was going on and reassured that we were fighting off the attack. They were shocked but no passengers were injured whatsoever."
The ship will no longer stop at Mombasa and will end the cruise in the Seychelles on Monday, he said.
© The Canadian Press, 2005
Pirate Attack - microbunny - 11-06-2005
YARRR!
Pirate Attack - NOS2Go4Me - 11-06-2005
Wow... AK-74s anyone?
"Today's workshop is clearing a jam in your M-16 assault rifle."
Pirate Attack - ANTHONYD - 11-06-2005
The vessel obviously needed more cowbell.
Pirate Attack - Slimsride - 11-06-2005
ANTHONYD,Nov 5 2005, 05:45 PM Wrote:The vessel obviously needed more cowbell.
[right][snapback]153949[/snapback][/right]
BWAHAHAHHAHHAHHAHAHHHAHAAHAHAHHAAHHAHHAHAAHAAAHAHA
Pirate Attack - microbunny - 11-06-2005
Slimsride,Nov 5 2005, 07:40 PM Wrote:ANTHONYD,Nov 5 2005, 05:45 PM Wrote:The vessel obviously needed more cowbell.
[right][snapback]153949[/snapback][/right]
BWAHAHAHHAHHAHHAHAHHHAHAAHAHAHHAAHHAHHAHAAHAAAHAHA
[right][snapback]153953[/snapback][/right]
don't encourage him...
Pirate Attack - Raine - 11-06-2005
Not the first time in recent years this has happened. Some cruise liners have gone so far as to employ former navy seals and the like, whom are fully armed I'll add, in order to protect the boats. Just goes to show, 20,000 hp never hurts
Pirate Attack - mo_focus - 11-06-2005
haha, as i'm reading this i see it on CP24 :) wow. you are faster then CP24
Pirate Attack - ANTHONYD - 11-07-2005
mo_focus,Nov 6 2005, 12:10 AM Wrote:haha, as i'm reading this i see it on CP24 :) wow. you are faster then CP24
[right][snapback]153972[/snapback][/right]
Everyone is faster than CP24
Pirate Attack - darkpuppet - 11-07-2005
it's a relatively small boat, so speed is on it's side... I doubt you'd get a 76,000 ton boat off the dock quick enough to repel a pirate attack.
Pirate Attack - NOS2Go4Me - 11-07-2005
Pirates using RPGs... things sure are different these days... :P