Two of the crew members aboard the hijacked cargo ship Maersk Alabama have ties to the Houston area. Colin Wright, 42, is a third mate on the ship and is a member of the local maritime union International Organization of Masters, Mates and Pilots. The second crew member, Matthew Fisher, 39, is an engineer aboard the vessel.
The Maersk Alabama was hijacked Tuesday night off the coast of Somalia while en route to deliver food aide to Mombassa, Kenya. The captain of the ship, Richard Phillips, 53, of Underhill, Vermont, negotiated with the pirates that he be taken to ensure the safety of the crew. The pirates later left the vessel via one of its lifeboats with the captain as their hostage and have been at a standoff with the US military a short distance from the scene ever since.
Even though the Maersk Alabama was sailing into hostile waters, known for the rampant pirate activity, Maersk company policy dictates that the vessels carry no arms to defend themselves in the event in an attack. Instead, the crew is instructed to use fire hoses to fight off would-be attackers. If pirates manage to board the ship, the crew is instructed to lock themselves in interior ‘safe rooms’.
The Maersk Alabama reached the Kenyan port on Saturday, four days after the ordeal. The ship and crew arrived under a heavily armed escort. Because the vessel is still a crime scene, the crew will not be able to leave the ship until the FBI has completed an investigation.
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