When did the accident take place?

The incident occurred Wednesday when Somali pirates boarded the container ship Maersk Alabama about 500 kilometers off the coast of Somalia. The 20-man crew regained control of the Danish-owned, American-operated ship. But the ship’s captain—Richard Phillips—was taken hostage as the pirates escaped aboard a lifeboat. The U.S. Navy destroyer Bainbridge is on the scene and negotiators led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation are talking to the pirates in an effort to release Captain Phillips.