On the High Seas Near the Horn of Africa, a 21st Century Pirate Tale

Famed Maersk Alabama Captain Richard Phillips recounts his April 2009 encounter with Somali pirates and his rescue by U.S. Navy SEALs

Brian E. Clark
A man is surrounded by family at a press conference.

When Bristol鈥檚 venerable Herreshoff Marine Museum invited Capt. Richard Phillips 鈥 a legendary name in maritime history following his capture by Somali pirates from the Maersk Alabama in 2009 鈥 to share his story, they knew they would need a larger event space.

For students, faculty and staff at Roger Williams University, that meant the chance to host the Herreshoff Museum and its distinguished guest speaker on campus on the evening of Thursday, March 8, 2012. In front of a packed house, Capt. Phillips didn鈥檛 disappoint.

Chronicling the five-day encounter in April 2009, Phillips said that as the Maersk Alabama embarked from Salalah, Oman, en route to Mombasa, Kenya, the crew was fully aware of the risk of pirate attack.

鈥淚鈥檝e always told my crew that attack was a matter of when and not if,鈥 he said, 鈥渁nd that the cavalry wasn鈥檛 going to ride to the rescue.鈥

While they hoped for the best, they planned for the worst. The worst came quickly.

鈥淧icture, if you will, the darkness of that very night,鈥 Phillips said. 鈥淎nd a voice coming over our ship鈥檚 radio, sounding very eerie. Saying Somali pirate, coming to get you. Somali pirate, coming to get you. This is what we heard the night before the incident.鈥

The pirates attacked and gained entry to the Maersk Alabama, but everyone on board except Phillips and a few crew members had followed protocol and locked themselves in safe rooms. Alone with the pirates, Phillips said that he was clear about his responsibility 鈥 to protect his crew and protect his ship.

鈥淔or me to leave my ship and get on the boat with the pirates was not an act of surrender,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t was not something I view as an act of heroism. It was my strategy, my action plan and my duty.鈥

What followed was four days on a small lifeboat with four pirates. Not pleasant, as you might imagine. Eventually, the U.S. Navy intervened. With one pirate aboard a Navy ship negotiating, a team of U.S. Navy SEALs opened fire and killed the three pirates on the lifeboat.

鈥淚t seemed like it went on for a long time, even though it was probably only one or two seconds,鈥 Phillips said. 鈥淎nd then, there was silence. After days of taunting heat and torture, there was just nothing. Finally, a voice 鈥 are you alright? An American voice.鈥

Phillips says the real heroes of the story are those Navy SEALs who risked their lives to save his. Watching them in action 鈥 and learning a lot about his own character during the ordeal 鈥 left him with three lessons that he now shares as he recounts his story.

鈥淔irst, you are much stronger than even you realize. Second, the only time that all is lost is when we choose to give up. And third, if we come together as a dedicated, motivated team, we can overcome most any obstacle or solve most any problem.鈥

According to Phillips, those lessons can prove useful in many situations.

鈥淲hether it鈥檚 on the seas that I encounter as captain of a ship or the changing seas of business and economy, we鈥檙e all riding an ever-shifting wave,鈥 he said. 鈥淵ou are better off to face that with a well-trained, committed crew than all by yourself, alone.鈥