Pirates Kidnap Seven Danish Cruisers

On February 24, just two days after Somali pirates murdered Scott and Jean Adam of the Marina del Rey-based Davidson 58 Quest and their Seattle crew Robert Riggle and Phyllis Macay, pirates have reportedly captured the 43-ft Danish-flagged Ing with a family of five — including two boys and a girl aged 12, 14 and 16 — and two crewmembers. The nationality of the pirates and the names of the victims have not been confirmed, but authorities say the yacht, which was apparently captured on her approach to the Gulf of Aden in the southern Arabian Sea, is moving in the direction of Somalia. Unverified accounts by reported friends say the family was halfway into a two-year circumnavigation. Our thoughts are with the seven souls now in the hands of ruthless mercenaries.