Yacht attacked in Panama

Only one incident involving a yacht is mentioned in the latest report from the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) covering global marine piracy activity.

The incident occurred on May 2, 2019 in San Ignacio de Tupile, Panama, which is on the Caribbean coast of the central American country. It involved armed robbers boarding a yacht, shooting and killing a family member and injuring another. The IMB Piracy Reporting Centre liaised with the victims and authorities. The surviving family members, including two children, were rescued by Panamanian Marine Police.

The latest IMB update highlighted that the seas around West Africa remain the world’s most dangerous for piracy. Of the 75 seafarers taken hostage onboard or kidnapped for ransom worldwide so far this year, 62 were captured in the Gulf of Guinea – off the coasts of Nigeria, Guinea, Togo, Benin and Cameroon.

Worldwide, the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre recorded 78 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships in the first half of 2019, compared with 107 incidents for the same period of 2018. Overall, 57 vessels were boarded successfully, representing 73% of all attacks. Pirates killed one person, took 38 crew members hostage, and kidnapped a further 37 for ransom.