Tanker hostage speaks of relief after escape

Jan 26 2009 by Liz Hands, The Journal

A NORTH EAST man who was held hostage on a Saudi supertanker yesterday spoke of the intense moment of relief when he was able to start up his ship’s engine to come home.

Chief engineer, Peter French, 45, of County Durham, was one of 25 crew members onboard the Sirius Star, when a gang of gunmen carrying grenades hijacked the vessel on November 15.

Peter was held captive by Somali pirates for 57 days along with fellow Brit James Grady of Renfrewshire, in Scotland, 500 miles off the coast of Kenya.

On January 9, the tanker’s Saudi owner Vela International parachuted a £2m ransom package to the vessel and secured the release of the crew.

Now back at home with wife Hazel, 42 and 18-year-old daughter Amy, in Willington, he described ransom money being parachuted in by his shipping company in two drops.

He said when the pirates left the boat and he was able to fire up the engine to come home, “that low thrumming noise was the sweetest sound I’d ever heard”.

Mr French told of the moment the crew realised they were in trouble: “It was obvious we were being menaced by pirates,” he said.

“Very quickly a speedboat came alongside and the pirates flung a long ladder with a hook over the guard rail.

“They shimmied up the ladder and on to the deck, they were armed with AK47s and rocket-propelled grenades.”

The devoted dad recalled how his daughter had sent him a joking text message the night before the ship was hijacked, saying: “Watch out for pirates dad!”

Following two months onboard the tanker, which was carrying crude oil worth £100m, Peter described the pirates as a “motley crew of paranoid druggies” who were often high.

At one point, the crew were ordered to line up and warned they would all be shot if attempts were made to rescue them.

Peter added: “We kept our distance from the pirates who would patrol the boat posturing with their guns. Sometimes they would hold handguns to the heads of some of the crew.

“We were frightened. They were the twitchiest at night, when they feared a rescue attempt. Some would sleep on the deck while others roamed around.

“They saw flashing lights in the distance and thought it was special forces coming to storm the ship. They were running around shouting and screaming and waving AK47 rifles around. What they saw was from a lighthouse – but it took the captain ages to convince them.”

At the time of her husband’s release, Hazel issued a statement through Durham Police.

She said: “This has been a very difficult time for everyone. We would like to say thank you to everyone, both family and friends, who have been such a huge support to us.”

They saw flashing lights in the distance and thought it was special forces. It was a lighthouse