For the first time since his dramatic rescue at sea, Captain Richard Phillips of the Maersk Alabama will publicly thank the commanding officer and crew of the USS Bainbridge during a ceremony in Norfolk, Virginia on November 19.
The ceremony will take place on the fantail of guided missile cruiser at 2 p.m. The USS Bainbridge will be moored on the downtown Norfolk waterfront.
The Maersk container ship was captured by rogue pirates off the coast of Somalia on April 8. Captain Phillips offered himself as a hostage in exchange for the safety of his crew. For four days, while the world watched, Phillips was held captive in a 25-foot lifeboat.
On Easter Sunday, April 12, Navy SEALs positioned on the fantail of the USS Bainbridge opened fire and killed three of the pirates who were holding Phillips hostage. Phillips was later rescued by the crew of the guided-missile destroyer.
On the evening of November 19, Captain Phillips will receive the inaugural National Maritime Valor Award from the Nauticus National Maritime Center.
Captain Phillips' visit will correspond with the November 21 opening at Nauticus of the National Geographic exhibit, "Real Pirates: The Untold Story of the Whydah from Slave Ship to Pirate Ship," and the adjunct exhibit created by Nauticus and the Hampton Roads Naval Museum entitled, "Piracy Today: Terror on the High Seas." "Piracy Today" features the actual lifeboat from which Captain Phillips was rescued. The lifeboat is being loaned to Nauticus and the Hampton Roads Naval Museum from the Navy UDT-SEAL Museum in Florida.
8. New Ribcrafts for Clinton First Aid & Rescue
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Photo courtesy RIBCRAFT USA, LLC
Ribcraft recently delivered an AF 14 to Clinton First Aid and Rescue located in Clinton, N.J. The fully inflatable boat, which is part of Ribcraft’s AF line of inflatable boats, will be used by the department for shallow water rescues and applications requiring easy deployment.
The 13.8-ft AF 14 features heavy duty 1880 dtx Hypalon tubes, removable rigid floor, and an innovative hull and tube design designed to carry large payloads on a plane while at the same time delivering unsurpassed performance and maneuverability.
Clinton First Aid and Rescue will use the AF 14 in conjunction with their 19-ft Ribcraft 5.85 RIB creating a total water solution for all bodies of water in their jurisdiction. They selected a yellow tube with the department’s name in custom Hypalon lettering to coordinate with their RIB.
The AF Series, designed specifically for first responders military, special forces, and provides an alternative to the RIB for applications that require an easily transportable, shallow draft, and economical inflatable boat. Both models can be disassembled and folded and are compact for easy transport and storage. Like every Ribcraft RIB, the AF Series can be personalized to meet mission requirements.
(www.ribcraftusa.com)