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Tag: Maersk Alabama

  • Maersk Alabama: 2 Found Dead Aboard Ship

    Maersk Alabama: 2 Found Dead Aboard Ship

    Mark Kennedy and Jeffrey Reynolds, both 44, were found dead in one of the cabins of Maersk Alabama on Tuesday. The ship was docked in Seychelles’ Port Victoria. The two bodies were discovered by one of their colleagues who checked in on them on Tuesday afternoon.

    The Maersk Alabama is famous, as it is the ship in the 2013 movie “Captain Phillips” starring Tom Hanks. The events on the film were based on the events that transpired in 2009 when pirates attempted to hijack the Maersk Alabama.

    Both Kennedy and Reynolds worked for a security services firm based in Virginia called Trident Group. According to Tom Rothrauff, the firm’s president, both men previously worked for the Navy SEALs. They were shocked to hear of the news and had completely no idea what could have happened.

    It is typical for U.S. vessels to have security personnel aboard when sailing to the East Coast of Africa as protection from pirate attacks. Many of the security contractors employed are former military personnel.

    Seychelles police said in a statement that a postmortem would be done on the bodies later in the week to determine the cause of death. Kevin Speers, senior director for Maersk Line Limited, said that both men boarded the Maersk Alabama on January 29. He also stated that the deaths were not caused by their activities on the vessel as security personnel.

    The U.S. Coast Guard will also be conducting an investigation regarding the incident, as the ship is a U.S. flagged vessel.

    The ship’s home port is in Norfolk, Virginia. The Maersk Alabama is a container ship used for the Food for Peace program of the U.S. government. It carries food aid to be delivered to East Africa. Crew members aboard the ship also show their support for the Bee Hive Children’s Home in Kenya.

    Was Captain Phillips A Hero?

    Image via Wikipedia Commons

  • Maersk Alabama: Two Found Dead On Ship

    Two men were found dead on the Maersk Alabama, the same ship that Somali pirates attempted to hijack in 2009, which was also the basis for the 2013 film Captain Phillips starring Tom Hanks.

    The two men, both 44 years old, were American security officers and former Navy SEALs. They worked for the Virginia-based maritime services firm Trident Group. Tom Rothrauff, president of Trident Group, said, “It’s bizarre. Of course, it’s a shock. They’re all great guys. I’m absolutely clueless as to what happened.”

    Kevin N. Speers, a senior director for Maersk Line Limited, said in a statement that their deaths were not related to their duties as security personnel or the operation of the ship.

    “Contracted security is part of anti-piracy protection plans to safeguard crews and vessels. In Maersk Alabama’s case, she is persistently in high-risk areas since she provides feeder service to the east coast of Africa. The vessel was cleared to complete cargo operations, and she is now at anchor awaiting further instructions,” said Speers.

    On Sunday the ship arrived and docked in Port Victoria, Seychelles and was expected to leave Tuesday. One of the 24-man crew had gone in around 4:30 pm Tuesday to check on one of the men and found the two men dead.

    The investigation into the two men’s deaths is ongoing. “A postmortem will be carried out this week in order to establish the cause of their sudden deaths,” said police.

    According to State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf, because the Maersk Alabama is a U.S.-flagged ship, the U.S. Coast Guard is involved in the investigation.

    The two men joined the ship’s crew on January 29. Their names are currently not being provided.

    One person shared their sentiments for the deaths of the two former Navy SEALs on Twitter.

    Image via YouTube.