Another Cruiser Death in Gulf of Aden

According to multiple international news sources, French cruiser Christian Colombo, 55, was killed and his body tossed overboard late last week during an altercation with pirates in the Gulf of Aden. His wife, Evelyne, was rescued from her Somali captors after a multinational effort tracked down the alleged assailants and overtook their vessel, aboard which Mrs. Colombo was being held captive.

The couple’s catamaran Tribal Kat was found adrift and unmanned Thursday in waters off of Yemen by a German warship which had responded to a mayday broadcast during the attack. The EU Atalanta Naval Command center activated additional international resources. On Saturday the French frigate Surcouf detected a suspect vessel and the Spanish warship SPS Galacia chased it down, disabled its engine and took seven alleged pirates captive. It was only after boarding the boat that they realized Mrs. Colombo was aboard. She was unharmed.

Longtime sailor Christian Colombo was a veteran of the French Navy and had set at least one catamaran speed record in years past. Unlike most cruisers who have been attacked while traveling westbound toward the Red Sea, the Colombos were heading east, from the Gulf into the Indian Ocean, intent on visiting Thailand.

According to the watchdog group Ecoterra, at least 50 vessels and 528 crew are being held captive by Somali pirates despite a substantial effort to patrol the region by international naval resources.