
Captain Phillips sailed the ship approximately 300 nautical miles closer to the coast of Somalia than was deemed safe by NATO, multiple military anti-piracy groups, and the International Maritime Organization.Captain Phillips claimed that he was not scared of pirates and ignored pleas from the crew to avoid the area notorious for pirate attacks.Instead of taking a safer route, he chose to sail the Maersk Alabama into pirate-infested waters. Captain Phillips risked lives when he ignored multiple warnings of pirate attacks in nearby waters.

Captain Phillips’ crew who were on board the Maersk Alabama when it was hijacked say that their lives were put in jeopardy because of the decisions made by Phillips. Why was the Maersk Alabama hijacked in the first place?Īlthough Captain Phillips is credited with saving the lives of his crew in the movie, the lawsuit filed by nine crewmembers sought to show the opposite is true. It seems the industry has gotten the message because of this lawsuit, and that’s a good thing for the men and women who work on these ships,” Brian Beckcom stated. Not to leave them to fend for themselves and not to rely on the U.S. Namely, if you’re going to send crewmembers to dangerous waters, you should protect them or give them the means to protect themselves. “If anything, this lawsuit has sent a very clear message to the shipping industry. Since the April 2009 attack, the Maersk Alabama has been approached by pirates on at least two other occasions, however the pirates were quickly repelled by armed personnel who now accompany Maersk vessels that travel in pirate-infested waters. military, and by extension, to the taxpayers of the United States, rather than provide basic anti-piracy prevention measures such as armed guards. Navy who rescued the shipping company from its poor decisions and the brave crewmembers who actually fought back against the pirates once they boarded the ship – despite the crewmembers being unarmed while facing pirates carrying automatic weapons,” says Brian Beckcom.Īccording to the lawsuit, Maersk essentially “outsourced” the security of the Alabama to the U.S. “The real heroes are the men and women of the U.S.

#Im the captain now movie trial
That lawsuit settled before it went to trial in Mobile, Alabama on December 2, 2013. And the lawsuit further claims that the Alabama didn’t have adequate anti-pirate security measures. Maersk Alabama to sail directly into pirate-infested waters despite receiving multiple warnings to avoid the area.
#Im the captain now movie movie
But does Captain Phillips tell the whole story? And does the movie tell the story accurately?Īpproximately half of the crewmembers, represented by Brian Beckcom, are claiming that the shipping company, Maersk Lines Limited, willfully allowed the Navy, and specifically Navy marksmen, fatally shot all but one of the pirates and rescued Captain Phillips. On orders from President Obama, the brave men and women of the U.S. The captain and the crew were taken hostage, and the pirates took the captain, Richard Phillips, off the ship into a lifeboat.

In April 2009, the Maersk Alabama cargo ship was attacked and captured by four Somali pirates less than 300 nautical miles off the Coast of Somalia. The movie received glowing reviews, and claims to be based on actual events. On October 11, 2013, a movie called Captain Phillips, starring Tom Hanks as Captain Richard Phillips, premiered nationwide. Does the movie Captain Phillips accurately show what happened on the Maersk Alabama?
