Oopsies

Remember the pirate ship that was sunk by the Indian warship last week? Well, it turns out that it was a Thai fishing vessel that had itself been seized by pirates earlier the same day.

The Thai boat had previously reported that it was under attack, and the crew had asked the British for assistance. But before more details could be gathered, its radio went silent. Pictures of the captured boat were broadcast to other naval vessels in the area but its unclear if the Indians got the message since they operate on a different frequency.

A Canadian crew member was rescued by another fishing boat after spending four days in the water. Fourteen more of the original crew members remain missing.

For their part, the Indians say they only fired in self defense after the pirates on the ship shot at them. Sad as it is, the situation points out the difficulty of policing that vast area of ocean.