Just another venture in this wild wild world with my blog, tracking down new happenings with my personal experiences!
From: mumbai, maharashtra, India
About me: Hey Guys this is Nitin Pandita, blogging my way through boredom...;-) MY Funda is... “Borrow money from a pessimist - they don't expect it back!!!”
More..
Monday, October 20, 2008,10/20/2008 09:09:00 PM
Continued…
It was his test, he remembered what his teacher had told him the day after he received the 'Best Cadet Award'......."Everything is a test"
Nash decided to buckle up, he recorded a message on the tape and transmitted it at a radio frequency of 90 Mhz. The message kept playing on its own. It was a SOS. " This is Captain John Nash, master of ship Queen Mary, our co-ordinates are 12°32′45′′N 48°08 , we have been hijacked. Request immediate assistance." He knew, he had no other option; he did not even have a pistol to defend his ship and crew against the RPG's of the pirates! He had heard from the last port he had docked in, that a U.S. Navy battleship is conducting a military exercise in nearby seas and was asked to not to come in their way. But now, he hoped they did come in his way!
Nash instructed the electrician to put up a white cloth on the pole, thereby indicating surrender. All he had to do was to take care of the crew. Four men of African descent armed with guns and choppers were aboard the ship now and commanded it.
The taller one made frantic actions moving his hands vigorously in air and barely managed to say "HANDS ON YOUR HEADS." He signalled John, asking him to get in a separate room with the chief officer. They were taken in the navigation room. Rest of the crew were bundled up in rooms downstairs which were meant for cadets. The taller guy just had a looked at the radio transmitter and indicated Nash to play it. Nash knew he was no match for the tall guy. He quietly obeyed his instruction. The tall guy looked at the Captain who returned a very straight and cold look. The guy did not react to the message. It was then that he and Chief Officer understood that they did not understand English!
The guy signalled Nash with his customary wild gestures and frantic signalling that he stop transmitting the signal. Nash decided to do otherwise, hoping that the guy would not be able to understand. He pressed the power off button, it was here when guy let his guard down, and he turned towards the Willey asking him to sit on the chair opposite to him. It was during this fraction of the second that Nash swiftly pressed the power on button again!
The CO had in meanwhile recovered from his stupor. He understood this was real. That he was a pawn and now the game was on between the pirates and someone else, but who would this someone else be? The negotiators? The company, to which the ship belonged? Or Captain Nash!
Meanwhile about 120 nautical miles from the hijacked ship….
-“Sir we have an incoming message from unknown frequency!”
-“Get it to me”
The taller guy instructed CO to write an e-mail with their demands. He handed him a note…..
‘Ask your company for $50 million, explain them the situation. They have 24 hrs to get back. No negotiations will be entertained. Pay up or see number of crew members reducing with every passing day.’
The CO showed the note to the captain. Nash was shocked but he showed no exclaim on his face. He looked straight into the pirate’s eyes. The look would unsettle even the biggest wrestlers in the world. The pirate stood up and gave a look of being annoyed. But actually that piercing look scared him. It was said of Nash that he could look straight into someone’s eyes and reach right to his soul. The pirate just got a demonstration of that. The pirate decided to move Nash away to some secluded spot. He understood that he was too gutsy to be scared by guns. The ship was now commanded by the CO. Though he had just finished his watch all night but he was not feeling sleepy by any means. It was time when he would be too scared to even ask for a toilet break!
The CO was commanded to turn the ship west and increase the speed to 20 knots. Meanwhile Nash knew the company would never come up with that much of an amount. He wondered what was stored in for him and his crew.
21 hrs later, an e-mail from the company’s back office said, “Our top brass is considering the position, we request that the crew remains unharmed.”
Meanwhile, phone calls where being made, contacts where being looked for. Permission where being asked for. CNN meanwhile was running a whole news story on the hijack.
Something was different, captain thought. He had heard this noise before. But it was definitely not from the ship. After working for 9 yrs on the ship he knew, what kinds of sounds it made! It was more of a rumbling sound. He saw the pirates getting frantic; they reached for their mobile transceivers and to his delight he saw a U.S. Navy helicopter go pass right above his head. Then he heard gunshots, he hoped it was from the copter, but it was from the barrel of the guns the pirates where carrying. They aimed at the copter. The copter managed to escape unscathed. It was a recon operation. The pirates immediately moved Nash and Willey in Willey’s cabin and locked it from outside. Nash had a gut feeling right from the start, this is going to end sooner than it started.
An hour later he heard more rumbling sounds, followed by firing. He could hear machine guns pierce the air with sharpness and accuracy. An hour later of fighting he heard the sound of helicopter increasing. He thought probably the copter was landing on the deck. There was noise outside his door. the tall guy opened the door with fierce might. Kept his pistol on John’s head and moved forward. John guessed remaining pirates where dead and he had run out of ammunition. This was the pirate’s last chance. The pirate signalled John to walk with him as he locked Willey back in the cabin. He and the pirate where on the deck now facing heavily armoured American soldiers. John knew they were trained especially for this situation. It amazed the soldiers, when they saw the calm look on John’s face. Especially the sniper who was back in the copter which was about 40 meters from the ground now. But he had to focus now on the pirate. It was over in a minute! All the soliers on the deck had to do was divert the pirate’s attention and one shot, pirate was dead! But it was at this moment or probably for the first time, John had his heart in his mouth!
Nash decided to buckle up, he recorded a message on the tape and transmitted it at a radio frequency of 90 Mhz. The message kept playing on its own. It was a SOS. " This is Captain John Nash, master of ship Queen Mary, our co-ordinates are 12°32′45′′N 48°08 , we have been hijacked. Request immediate assistance." He knew, he had no other option; he did not even have a pistol to defend his ship and crew against the RPG's of the pirates! He had heard from the last port he had docked in, that a U.S. Navy battleship is conducting a military exercise in nearby seas and was asked to not to come in their way. But now, he hoped they did come in his way!
Nash instructed the electrician to put up a white cloth on the pole, thereby indicating surrender. All he had to do was to take care of the crew. Four men of African descent armed with guns and choppers were aboard the ship now and commanded it.
The taller one made frantic actions moving his hands vigorously in air and barely managed to say "HANDS ON YOUR HEADS." He signalled John, asking him to get in a separate room with the chief officer. They were taken in the navigation room. Rest of the crew were bundled up in rooms downstairs which were meant for cadets. The taller guy just had a looked at the radio transmitter and indicated Nash to play it. Nash knew he was no match for the tall guy. He quietly obeyed his instruction. The tall guy looked at the Captain who returned a very straight and cold look. The guy did not react to the message. It was then that he and Chief Officer understood that they did not understand English!
The guy signalled Nash with his customary wild gestures and frantic signalling that he stop transmitting the signal. Nash decided to do otherwise, hoping that the guy would not be able to understand. He pressed the power off button, it was here when guy let his guard down, and he turned towards the Willey asking him to sit on the chair opposite to him. It was during this fraction of the second that Nash swiftly pressed the power on button again!
The CO had in meanwhile recovered from his stupor. He understood this was real. That he was a pawn and now the game was on between the pirates and someone else, but who would this someone else be? The negotiators? The company, to which the ship belonged? Or Captain Nash!
Meanwhile about 120 nautical miles from the hijacked ship….
-“Sir we have an incoming message from unknown frequency!”
-“Get it to me”
The taller guy instructed CO to write an e-mail with their demands. He handed him a note…..
‘Ask your company for $50 million, explain them the situation. They have 24 hrs to get back. No negotiations will be entertained. Pay up or see number of crew members reducing with every passing day.’
The CO showed the note to the captain. Nash was shocked but he showed no exclaim on his face. He looked straight into the pirate’s eyes. The look would unsettle even the biggest wrestlers in the world. The pirate stood up and gave a look of being annoyed. But actually that piercing look scared him. It was said of Nash that he could look straight into someone’s eyes and reach right to his soul. The pirate just got a demonstration of that. The pirate decided to move Nash away to some secluded spot. He understood that he was too gutsy to be scared by guns. The ship was now commanded by the CO. Though he had just finished his watch all night but he was not feeling sleepy by any means. It was time when he would be too scared to even ask for a toilet break!
The CO was commanded to turn the ship west and increase the speed to 20 knots. Meanwhile Nash knew the company would never come up with that much of an amount. He wondered what was stored in for him and his crew.
21 hrs later, an e-mail from the company’s back office said, “Our top brass is considering the position, we request that the crew remains unharmed.”
Meanwhile, phone calls where being made, contacts where being looked for. Permission where being asked for. CNN meanwhile was running a whole news story on the hijack.
Something was different, captain thought. He had heard this noise before. But it was definitely not from the ship. After working for 9 yrs on the ship he knew, what kinds of sounds it made! It was more of a rumbling sound. He saw the pirates getting frantic; they reached for their mobile transceivers and to his delight he saw a U.S. Navy helicopter go pass right above his head. Then he heard gunshots, he hoped it was from the copter, but it was from the barrel of the guns the pirates where carrying. They aimed at the copter. The copter managed to escape unscathed. It was a recon operation. The pirates immediately moved Nash and Willey in Willey’s cabin and locked it from outside. Nash had a gut feeling right from the start, this is going to end sooner than it started.
An hour later he heard more rumbling sounds, followed by firing. He could hear machine guns pierce the air with sharpness and accuracy. An hour later of fighting he heard the sound of helicopter increasing. He thought probably the copter was landing on the deck. There was noise outside his door. the tall guy opened the door with fierce might. Kept his pistol on John’s head and moved forward. John guessed remaining pirates where dead and he had run out of ammunition. This was the pirate’s last chance. The pirate signalled John to walk with him as he locked Willey back in the cabin. He and the pirate where on the deck now facing heavily armoured American soldiers. John knew they were trained especially for this situation. It amazed the soldiers, when they saw the calm look on John’s face. Especially the sniper who was back in the copter which was about 40 meters from the ground now. But he had to focus now on the pirate. It was over in a minute! All the soliers on the deck had to do was divert the pirate’s attention and one shot, pirate was dead! But it was at this moment or probably for the first time, John had his heart in his mouth!
Labels: hijack, pirate attack
