Somali pirates were rushed by Special Forces when gunfire was heard, officials say | L.A. NOW | Los Angeles Times

Somali pirates were rushed by Special Forces when gunfire was heard, officials say | L.A. NOW | Los Angeles Times: "Dramatic details emerged Tuesday morning about the attempt by U.S. Special Forces to try to rescue a Southern California yachting couple and another couple taken hostage by Somali pirates.
The pirates were in radio contact with the U.S. guided missile destroyer Sterett, the closest U.S. ship, when gunfire was heard.
As a U.S. Special Forces team -- Navy SEALs -- rushed to board a yacht hijacked by Somali pirates, a rocket-propelled grenade was fired by the pirates at the Sterett .
All four hostages had been shot by the pirates and killed, officials said.
Adm. Mark Fox, the commander of U.S. naval forces in the region, said he had no details of the negotiations with the pirates and declined to comment when asked if the U.S. had planned to prevent the hostages from being taken ashore if the yacht reached Somalia."
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Merchant Vessel Defense Against Pirates

Preemptive Measures Can Prevent Boarding and Hostage Taking

Too often, ship operators fail to take proper anti-piracy security measures, effectively turning their merchant vessels into “Golden Geese” ripe for the taking, writes the author. He goes on to discuss proven methods of hardening commercial ships and training their crews to prevent pirates – whether from Somalia or elsewhere – from boarding vessels and taking crews hostage.