SA Man Returns Home After Escaping Pirates
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The South African man who escaped kidnap by pirates returned home Wednesday.
The yacht he was on this past weekend along with two other South Africans ran aground, leaving it vulnerable to attack. Pirates seized the one mast sailing yacht, SY Choizil from an island off the Somali coast.
Naval forces in the area made several attempts to make contact with the ship without success. Upon the firing of shots one man jumped over board.
EU NAVFOR forces rescued the man but the two others onboard, believed to be a man and a woman, were taken hostage by the pirates. The International Relations Department says they are making every effort to ensure their safe release, but the identity of the kidnappers has not been determined and no ransom has been demanded.
Photo courtesy of EU NAVFOR