“Security in this region [off the coast of Nigeria] is often not sufficient,” says maritime piracy attorney Dennis McElwee “Unfortunately, maritime companies are not always taking the necessary precautions to protect crewmembers from this type of attack.” There are many dangers of working at sea, but McElwee said that U.S. employers are obligated to take sufficient safety measures for their employees. In a recent case most of the crewmembers were released unharmed, but the ship’s captain and engineer -- both Americans -- were taken hostage, later to be released after payment of ransom.