William Rios has had a long couple of weeks, starting with the moment four Somali pirates clambered onto the Maersk Alabama, where he was working as a crew member. “You’re talkin’ about life and death,” he said later, recounting how the group hid together, some clutching knives and whatever else they could get their hands on to defend themselves. They stayed still for nearly twelve hours in the hull of the ship, where they cut the power, as the temperature climbed to 130 degrees and the pirates became more and more frantic. Then he had to watch helplessly as his captain, Richard Phillips, was held hostage for nearly five days under constant threats of his life. After Phillips’s dramatic rescue, Rios had to endure the trip back to the United States, constant attention from the press, and finally a media conference in Washington, D.C. Finally, last night, he arrived to his home in Harlem. Above the door hung a “Welcome Home!” banner, but the press was there, too, clamoring for a quote, one quote, any quote! He thought for a moment, and then pushed his way through the crowd. “I almost died,” he said over his shoulder. “I’m going to make love to my wife.” And then he shut the door.
Free and frisky: Maersk Alabama sailor William Rios, held by Somali pirates, rejoins wife in Harlem [NYDN]
