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Yacht couple: Pirates stormed boat as we slept
Ross Lydall29.10.09
A British hostage today told how he and his wife were captured by pirates as they slept on their boat in the Indian Ocean.
Speaking from a hijacked container ship, where the couple were being held captive a mile from the coast of Somalia, Paul Chandler, 59, said the attack happened six days ago as he and his wife Rachel, 55, sailed near the Seychelles.
He said: "We were in waters 60 miles from Victoria, off the Seychelles. Three boats came alongside. I was off watch. I was asleep and men with guns came aboard. It was on Friday last week at 02.30. Then we were forced to sail six days towards Somalia."
Mr Chandler, from Tunbridge Wells, spoke to ITV news this morning from the captain's cabin of the Kota Wajah, a Singapore-registered container ship seized 10 days ago.
A Somalian translator was on another line to reassure the pirates that the call was not from military forces trying to rescue the couple.
Asked if they had faced ransom demands, Mr Chandler said: "Not officially. They kept asking for money and took everything of value on the boat. They have not asked for money [since] but that is what they want, we know."
The line went dead when Mr Chandler was asked how they were being treated.
Their 38ft yacht, Lynn Rival, had earlier been found deserted by a European warship.
Fears for the couple's safety were eased when the pirates said they had been moved to the hold of the cargo ship to frustrate any rescue bid by the Royal Navy.
A spokesman for the Somali gang said today: "They are exhausted and they need rest. We will be holding them in the Singaporean ship along with that ship's crew. We decided not to take them to shore."
There are believed to be 21 members of the Singaporean crew.
Fishermen reported seeing the couple near the pirate stronghold of Harardhere.
Two boats carrying eight pirates and a white couple arrived in the early morning, said Dahir Dabadhahan. "The pirates opened fire into the air, waving us to move away," he added.
Today the Chandlers' family said they are "clinging to hope" that the couple will survive the ordeal.
Paul Mickleborough, who is married to Mrs Chandler's niece, said: "We were keeping our fingers crossed they would still be safely on their yacht sailing towards Tanzania. To be told their yacht has been found empty is upsetting."
The Ministry of Defence said efforts were continuing to secure the Chandlers' release.
