Helicopter Rescue

The US Navy destroyer “USS Shoup” came to the assistance of a Turkish ship, “MV 26 Agustos” after the vessel reported that pirates were on board and that the crew took refuge in a “safe room” within the machinery space.

A US Navy helicopter flying from USS Shoup,  fired warning shots in the direction of the pirates. In response to the US Navy presence and the failure to take swift control of the vessel the pirates left the ship and fled the scene in their skiffs.

The crew of the “MV 26 Agustos” then emerged from their refuge to retake control of the vessel, which had been en route from Romania to Bangladesh.