9781422277157

Phillips could see the four pirates in the skiff—all in their late teens or early 20s—and armed with Russian-made AK-47 automatic rifles. The pirates took aim at the bridge, showering it with bullets. Although Phillips and his crew tried to stop the intruders, the bandits boarded the Alabama within minutes, using a white ladder. “Relax, Captain, relax,” one of the pirates finally yelled to Phillips. “Busi- ness, just business. Stop the ship. Stop the ship.” Giving up the Ship Phillips was adamant about not giving up the bridge. “You don’t want to hand it over unless you absolutely have to…It was hubris , I guess. Come take it from me.”

In a scene from the movie about the crisis, crewmen use hoses to try to fend off pirates.

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