Two Americans Found Dead on ‘Captain Phillips’ Cargo Ship

An investigation is underway after two Americans were found dead on the cargo ship whose 2009 hijacking inspired the film Captain Phillips, stated Seychelles Islands police. 

Jeffrey Reynolds and Mark Kennedy were private security officers who were “discovered dead on the ship moored in Port Victoria late in the afternoon” on Tuesday, a news release from the Seychelles Islands police department read. A U.S. Coast Guard official told CNN that it had been alerted about the incident. 

No additional details about the circumstances of death were listed in the statement. 

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The Maersk Alabama was hijacked in 2009 by a crew of Somali pirates who took Capt. Richard Phillips hostage for several days in a lifeboat before the U.S. Navy intervened, killing three pirates. 

The international incident formed the basis for a memoir by Phillips titled A Captain’s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea. 

The story was adapted for the screen by Sony Pictures, with United 93 director Paul Greengrass helming the film and actor Tom Hanks portraying the title character. The movie was nominated for six Academy Awards, including best picture and best supporting actor for Barkhad Abdi, who portrays a Somali pirate.