Paul and Rachel Chandler will not let Somali pirates stand in their way of doing what they love. After three years, they are returning to the seas in their same yacht. The couple were taken prisoners by the pirates for 388 days while sailing in the Indian Ocean in 2009. The pirates demanded a $7 million dollar ransom. Click below to read more.
The British pair were taken prisoner for 388 days while sailing in the Indian Ocean in October 2009 with the pirates demanding a $7-million ransom, a sum the Chandlers knew was far beyond what their family and friends could raise. Hidden in Somalia, they faced the risk of disease and feared getting caught in the cross-fire between multiple gangs or being sold to al-Qaida.
Their torment now just a memory, the Chandlers are due to set off later this week on a six-month cruise to Brazil aboard the Lynn Rival.
“It’s our life,” Paul told NBC News. “Our yacht … enabled us to get our sanity back. We won’t be beaten by these guys.”
The most striking thing about the couple is not that they emerged unscathed from captivity but just how intensely close they are. The strength of their marriage was key to helping them survive the 13-month long nightmare at the hands of Somali pirates.
