Don’t know what’s better: being held captive by pirates or getting shot by incompetent Nigerian Navy…I’ll go with the pirates!
I’d believe the Nigerian navy and the pirates are one in the same. Probably all related at the very least.
A U.S. government official tells ABC News that third-party negotiators “have made contact” with the group holding two U.S. citizens hostage in Nigeria.
“They’re going to pay it,” the official said of the ransom demand. The amount of money being sought has not been relayed to government officials dealing with the situation in New York and Washington.
Reiterating what ABC reported last week, the official said the U.S. government is not considering any type of operation to rescue the men who were taken from a U.S.-flagged oil-supply vessel.
The official also pronounced as untrue unconfirmed reports that have surfaced since Friday suggesting that the Americans might have been turned over to extremist groups - something that would have complicated efforts to secure their release.
On Oct. 23, an unknown number of armed pirates stormed the C-Retriever, a 222-foot vessel owned by U.S. marine transport group Edison Chouest Offshore, and separated the crew by nationality. They took the two Americans - the captain and chief engineer – with them.
The pirates damaged the communications and navigation equipment on the ship as they departed with their captives, possibly in an effort to delay notification to authorities.
The men are now believed to be on land. And the FBI in New York, which deals with Africa cases, is coordinating efforts to get the men back.
Any further updates on this? Have the families of the chief and captain heard from them? Any intent from Chouest or Chevron to pay ransom?
Try reading again for comprehension.
No need to be douche, a@@hole!!!
[QUOTE=captmarcus;123553]No need to be douche, a@@hole!!![/QUOTE] Sometimes there is a need. I thought it was funny and pretty much spot on.
[QUOTE=powerabout;123212]tough for the crew but this is just how the locals get their share of the oil that is being pumped in their backyard and then all sent up north.[/QUOTE]
Are you SHITTING ME?!! The “locals” get their share by kidnapping and torture? If they weren’t so corrupt (as we’/re becoming) they wouldn’t need to kidnap and extort. Tough for the crew? You should be there trying to put you kid through college on a workboat with an AK-47 pointed at your ear. Tough for the crew? Wow.
this was on NBCnews.com this morning
[B]Hunt for a ghost ship: NBC News spots abandoned US vessel in Nigerian creek[/B]
By Ronke Phillips and Sohel Uddin, NBC News
The C Retriever, a U.S.-flagged oil supply vessel that was attacked off Nigeria’s coast last month. Two Americans on the ship were kidnapped by pirates.
PORT HARCOURT, Nigeria — It was an eerie sight: an American oil supply ship abandoned in one of the danger-filled creeks that snake through the south of Nigeria, stars and stripes fluttering from its mast, but no sign of life on board.
A crew from NBC News tracked the C-Retriever to the outskirts of the Port of Onne two weeks after pirates boarded it and took hostage the two U.S. citizens on board — the captain and the chief engineer.
The incident has been cloaked in mystery, with no information on the fate of the two men or where they are being held and the Nigerian Navy refusing to say what became of the vessel after the Oct. 23 attack in the Gulf of Guinea.
Finding the ship was a complicated and potentially perilous operation through waters that have become increasingly popular with pirates and sea-robbers who take cover in the inlets while they stalk victims.
Piracy is surging in Nigeria, with Capt. Richard Phillips declaring it “worse even than Somalia,” where he was taken hostage in 2009 and then rescued by Navy SEALS, a high-seas drama chronicled in a current Tom Hanks movie.
When we tried to hire two speed boats at a jetty known as Borokri, the locals were reluctant, deeming it too risky to travel with a crew that included a white cameraman and an Asian producer.
One boat owner eventually agreed, but only if we hired armed security.
“There is no way he will not be noticed," he said, referring to our cameraman. "He is bound to attract attention and could put us all in danger.”
We finally set off with two armed guards in our boat and a four-man security detail following behind. Everyone was on edge, with the guards constantly telling the cameraman to duck down out of sight.
The constant flow of massive cargo ships in the Gulf of Guinea has become a fertile hunting ground for pirates. NBC’s Jim Miklaszewski reports.
The trip took us past hundreds of creeks — there is no smooth coastline in the Niger Delta region — and it rained heavily as we made our way in the choppy waters.
Every mile or so, an oil tanker would pass, but there was no sign of the C-Retriever, owned by the Lousiana-based Edison Chouest Offshore.
After about a half-hour, we reached the outskirts of Onne, where dozens of ships of varying sizes were lined up along the dock.
We edged closer, but didn’t see the C-Retriever. And then, as we were about to give up, there it was — undamaged and apparently unoccupied.
We filmed the 222-foot vessel from a distance without incident, and then as we contemplated pulling alongside to take a closer look, one of our crew spotted a naval ship heading toward us and we ended the mission.
Later, the man who rented us the boats told us piracy was such a problem in the area he did not want be filmed or named for fear of reprisals.
“Expatriates we take to the rigs are always escorted by armed guards. We would never allow then to travel in this area unaccompanied. It’s just too dangerous," he told us.
"Boats carrying local people to other parts of Port Harcourt are also attacked and the passengers robbed of their jewelery, cash and phones. Sometimes they even take the boats, dumping their human cargo in the mango swamps.”
Usually, sailors kidnapped in Nigerian waters are released after a ransom is paid. It remains to be seen if that’s how the C-Retriever crew’s ordeal will end.
WTF…I’d have thought Gary would have sent a command team in by now to get his boat and men back?
What’s even worse is that the US GIVES Nigeria weapons to prevent this SHIT from happening. We gave them the ex USCG CHASE! We need to demand it be returned to us unless the captain and engineer and the vessel gets released NOW!
I didn’t know the C-Retreiver was missing. I thought they took the captain and chief off while offshore and that was it. It takes a lot more organization and logistics to do something with the boat. You can’t just keep that in a locked room while waiting on a money drop.
The vessel hasn’t been missing necessarily. It has been kept hidden from public eye by the Nigerian navy according to the article.
Just a fluff piece made up to look more interesting then it really is.
The boats not missing and never was. In fact its tied up an active port. Not pushed up on the bank listing to one side with nobdoy on board. Like the piece wants you to belive in the beginning.
I want to see the video
Typical fear mongering, dirty laundry piece. I didn’t know they had cranes and container terminals in hidden creeks where you abandon boats.
Edit: also if that is there idea of what an abandoned vessel in a third world country looks like, they need to do a little research. It looks like any of the boats tied up in Fourchon right now.
I think Gary should load up every one of his boats, with us boat trash and our guns and we go over there and impart a little American Justice on them. By the time we were done, every time one of them saw either RED WHITE and BLUE or Orange they would would turn into a blubbing crying mass of human flesh.
While I enjoy the idea of that, I think once we found ourselves under attack by large caliber automatic weapons and rocket propelled grenades, we may have missed we waited for seals with air cover to take care of the problem.
The real problem is these people don’t value human life as anything more than a business asset. To make the cost too high for people already living destitute and stop them from resorting to this, we would have to systematically murder every military aged male we could round up in the region. Then what does that make us? Frankly I think paying the occasional ransom is cheaper than either killing a large portion of the population or spending the money and time to change their society and its values from the ground up. Is it still shitty? yes. It is however business in that part of the world.
You underestimate the arsenals some of us boat trash have in our safes. RPGs no, but full auto machine guns? Oh yes. We dont need no stinkin SEALs!!
Yeah I’d have to agree here! Put a season on the pirates and let’s go at it. 
The C-Retriever was never missing. It was being worked hours after the incident at a nearby platform offloading equipment. This article is absolute BS and non-sense, I can’t believe this made it on the news and no one actually had any factual information.
We can always buy some RPGs and machine guns once we get their. If the media is correct a AK is around $75.00 over their it would be cheaper to buy them once we get their than to spend the money to ship them. That second bag fee is a bitch. I am not sure what RPGs run but if Gary is going to pay for the hunting trip I am sure a few hundred RPGs will just be pocket change. I will invest in some good night vision equipment before the trip then the night will be ours.