Article

2007-05-17 Africa Horn

The sailor's hosepipe that sent the pirates packing

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Posted by Steve White 2007-05-17 00:06|| || Front Page|| [7 views ] Top

#1 While the attack was raging, the ship's Norwegian captain, Sven Erik Pederson, sent an international distress signal then tried to ram the pirates, telling passengers over the PA system: "Stay inside, we're under attack."

Apparently there's at least one real viking left. Good job to all of them for keeping their ship safe. Now if the world just had real humans as politicians, they could have fought off the attackers with real weapons and not makeshift ones.

Posted by Silentbrick">Silentbrick 2007-05-17 00:18|| 2007-05-17 00:18|| Front Page Top

#2 lol, I still enjoy hosing off the deck and patios.
heh what a way to level the playing field
good on them for saving the day

Posted by Jan 2007-05-17 00:42|| 2007-05-17 00:42|| Front Page Top

#3 A deeper secondary question.
As a kid I have traveled many of the world's seas.
This area of the Indian Ocean is a rough one with waves coming from 5 to 7 different directions. It is not pleasant to be on a ship with those conditions.... so... skipping pirates and politics and Islam, why was a pleasure ship cruising such an awful ocean?

Posted by 3dc 2007-05-17 00:48|| 2007-05-17 00:48|| Front Page Top

#4 Asked what was going through his mind at the time, Mr Groves joked: "Almost a couple of bullets."

LOL! That's a keeper!

He radioed for help and his Master of Arms, Som Bahdur Gurung, arrived on the deck. Mr Gurung, 46, a Gurkha, managed to fire the LRAD - hitting the pirates with the powerful beam of sound. As shots and a second rocket holed the ship, Mr Gurung was hit by a bullet.

Didn't seem to work. I suppose one could say they took an acoustic guitar to a gunfight....

Posted by ptah">ptah 2007-05-17 07:12|| http://www.crusaderwarcollege.org]">[http://www.crusaderwarcollege.org] 2007-05-17 07:12|| Front Page Top

#5 Too bad they couldn't sink the pirates with extreme prejudice.

Posted by Seafarious">Seafarious 2007-05-17 10:35|| 2007-05-17 10:35|| Front Page Top

#6 A question for our English cousins: Why were these two not Knighted? Seems that there are those that get the title for doing a whole lot less. Is it politics, prejudice, or not enought English blood on the line? Just asking.

Posted by Cyber Sarge 2007-05-17 10:48|| 2007-05-17 10:48|| Front Page Top

#7 Let's see: a West Mids bloke, a Gurkha, and a Viking captain - those pirates didn't stand a chance.

Posted by xbalanke 2007-05-17 13:26|| 2007-05-17 13:26|| Front Page Top

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