NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct. 25 (UPI) -- A German cargo ship and its crew were free Monday after an aborted high-seas hijacking by Somali pirates, the head of the shipping company said.
The pirates boarded the MV Beluga Fortune off the coast of Kenya Sunday but the 16 crew members locked themselves in a safe room, switched off the main engine, took other measures to thwart the takeover and radioed for help, CNN reported.
The buccaneers demanded a $1 million ransom but with no way to control the cargo ship and naval forces bearing down on them, they abandoned the endeavor.
"The excellent behavior of our colleagues on board made such a swift and happy ending of the capture possible," said Niels Stolberg, president and chief executive officer of Beluga Shipping.
The vessel resumed its journey to Richards Bay, South Africa.
Stolberg said.
