The Chandler Tale: Pirates Still Dread the Gauls!
(BRUSSELS2) “ Nationality, nationality was one of the first questions the pirates asked when they set foot on Paul and Rachel Chandler's yacht, the Lynn Rival, in October 2009, in the middle of the Indian Ocean (1). The British couple thought, while sailing 770 miles off the Somali coast, they had taken all the precautions. Error... Two skiffs with 7 pirates on board pursue him while shooting. Paul has time, however, to activate the distress beacon which sends an SOS to Falmouth and then to the HQ of Eunavfor (the European anti-piracy force).
"Not French
In the pirate assault, the British flag was no longer very distinct. And when Paul told them his nationality: "British", the leader of the pirates, Bugas, seemed " relieved “, according to a testimony collected by the English daily newspaper, Daily Mail. The couple realized this later. But Bugas feared above all that these yachtsmen were French. " He didn't want to deal with them said Paul Chandler. " He knew that with the other marines, present in the area, it was enough to threaten a hostage with a rifle to make them helpless ". Not with the French. He had, in memory, the recovery by force of the Tanit, where the commandos in which two pirates had been killed (as well as the French skipper of the ship) and the others arrested.
If not for the tragedy of the situation, it could be compared to the pirates of Asterix: the Gau, the Gau, the Gauls!
The gnawed brake of the British
A chase begins between the British navy and the pirates. The yacht only going 2 miles away, Bugas decides to call on "colleagues" who are holding the Kota Wajar and 21 sailors prisoners to transfer his hostages there. A Navy supply ship is closing in at full speed. It is 70 meters from the yacht. Within cannon range. The Wave Knight has 25 marine commandos on board, who are on high alert ready to intervene. And a conversation begins via the on-board radio between the hostages and the captain of the Wave Knight.
- Lynn Rival: EU warship — this is sailing yacht Lynn Rival. We are two British, one male, one female. We have been kidnapped. We are both well and unharmed. Please turn away or we will be killed.
- Wave Knight: Lynn Rival—understood. We are turning away now. We confirm one male, one female unharmed. Are you directly threatened?
- LR: Right. Not threatened at present.
With the Kota Wajar, things go wrong. This one fires on the warship. Intimidated by his captor, Paul then resumes the radio:
- « Our captors say they will kill us if you don't stand off. We are terrified! »
Finally under the eyes of the sailors and the British commandos, the Chandlers are hoisted on board the hijacked freighter, well protected from any recovery. The Marines are pissed according to a source who confided in our British colleague “ It was a movement of intense anger and frustration. (...) They could not believe the orders to withdraw... We had the chance to strike a blow and send a message to the pirates not to play with the British »
The Chandler couple will remain prisoners of Somali pirates for 13 months, sometimes in difficult conditions. And eventually released for a ransom of £625.000. Today, with hindsight, Paul thinks differently. The full testimony in the Daily Mail
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