Trouble at Sea
By Alberto Muro
Captain Richard Phillips was the special guest speaker at the Bakersfield Business Conference. He began by thanking everyone in attendance and the United States military for saving him from his captors. Captain Philips then spoke about that events that resulted in his capture by Somali pirates. In April 2009, Captain Philips and his crew embarked on a voyage to deliver cargo to Mombasa, Kenya. On April 8, the pirate alarm sounded, Captain Philips and the crew of the MV Maersk Alabama attempted to avert the pirates; despite their valiant efforts the ship was boarded and the crew now found themselves in a dire situation.
Chief Engineer Mike Perry was able to elude capture by separating himself from the crew. Perry successfully made his way into the engine room; by disabling the power to the ship, he created a blackout and used the darkness to his advantage. This tactic benefitted Perry since he was able to aprehend ring leader Abduwali Muse.Unfortunately, Captain Phillips along with other crew members were taken hostage by the Somali pirates. To Perry’s advantage, he was now going to use Abduwali Muse as an exchange for Captain Philips return.
Despite negotiations with the pirates, the deal was not honored during the exchange for Phillips. Philips lead the pirates to a lifeboat in hopes that they would use the vessel to leave the ship and its crew members alone. What Philips failed to realize was that the pirates would keep him as their hostage; these actions dispatched the USS Bainbridge and Halyburton to where Captain Philips was being held.
The standoff began on April 9 and ended on April 12 when U.S. Navy SEAL marksmen opened fire from the Bainbridge’s fantail killing 3 of the pirates. Captain Philips and his crew were rescued and received medical attention from navy doctors.
A tale of terror and heroism gave Philips the strength to carry on with his life, and on October 8, 2016, he made a special appearance at the Bakersfield Business Conference. Philips began by telling his story about that fateful day off the Somali coast, and that he will be forever grateful to the U.S. Navy for their rescue.
Philips showing emotion during his speech about the hostage situation