Pirates Seize Danish Yacht and Family

On Thursday, a Danish pleasure craft yacht with 7 on board, including 3 children, was hijacked by pirates while travelling through the Indian Ocean and is now reportedly being towed in Somalia's direction.

The Danish Marine Command is searching for the couple, their 3 children, and yacht staff of 2. It is unclear what action Denmark will take, as they have in the past leaned toward negotiations as opposed to aggression when it comes to piracy issues. But the climate has shifted since the Somali murder of American pleasure crafters last week. The pirates seem to be changing their usual agenda of nonviolent, ransom-seeking practices towards large vessels with the latest hijacks of small sea crafts. The Danish Foreign Minister has released a statement expressing his deep concern for the situation and denounced his disdain for the pirates’ actions. The specifics regarding the next step of the Danish government have not been announced.

It is also not certain how many pirates invaded the yacht, but Ecoterra International, a maritime group monitoring pirate attacks, said the craft was hijacked in the southern portion of the Arabian sea, very far from the horn of Africa. The path of the pirates and the Danish yacht lead the group to believe they are being taken to Somalia, despite the identification of the pirates being unapprehended.