Hijacked crew saved from pirates after sending message in a bottle

The crew of the Montecristo resorted to a traditional seafaring means of communication when their ship was hijacked by pirates. They wrote a message, placed it in a bottle, and tossed it into the sea through a porthole. The bottle was retrieved by Nato warships who were nearby after responding to an earlier call for help from the Italian merchantman.

The message inside, and another written on a sheet, was clear: it was safe to board. It was the signal for Royal Marine commandos to launch an attempt to rescue the 23-man crew, who were being held by 11 suspected pirates, in full knowledge that they could do so without risking lives.

The Montecristo's crew - seven Italians, six Ukrainians and 10 Indians - had locked themselves inside an armoured area of the vessel when the pirates boarded the ship on Monday, according to Italian defence minister Ignazio La Russa. Safe from the pirates' threats, the crew continued to navigate the ship.

"The criminals managed to cut off all means of communication, but the 'prisoners' tossed a bottle with a message through a porthole explaining the situation," said La Russa. Rubber boats with British marine commandos on board circled the Montecristo, while a helicopter hovered above. "The pirates surrendered right away, some throwing their weapons in the sea, and were arrested," La Russa said.