A captain’s tale. Hostage on the high seas (From HeraldScotland) – Herald Scotland

HE was captured by Nigerian pirates and held at gunpoint in a squalid jungle camp, told by one of his teenage captors that hed be burned alive unless a three-quarter-of-a million pounds ransom was paid.

Now Joe Westland, a 66-year-old grandfather, has revealed every detail of his traumatic ordeal in a new book to be published next month.

Westland, from Arbroath, first went to sea as a fresh-faced 15-year-old in 1965, working on fishing boats before he began a career in the merchant navy.

He knew the waters off the east coast of Africa well, having sailed a supply vessel there for just over a decade. He knew the dangers.

But in May 2013 the crane on his ship broke down and he was forced to put down anchor close to the Nigerian coast. The pirates took their chance and dramatically boarded the boat, breaking the windows on the bridge to bypass bolted steel doors.

Westland said: The only way in was through the bridge windows. They smashed every one. All the lights went out. I locked my door and hid myself in the toilet. They smashed the doors in with a sledgehammer and I was dragged out.

We were close to land to make it easier for the company to reach us while we waited for repairs to be carried out. In hindsight I shouldnt have agreed to do that. And I should have moved the vessel every couple of days. I blame myself for that.

He said: I was the only ex-pat on board so they took me. I was in a state of shock. I was lying in water at the bottom of their boat. One of the hit me with a gun. He told me not to move."

Alone and afraid for his life, Westland was taken to shore and moved to a ramshackle hut in a remote jungle clearing.

He said: I was lying on wood, there was no bedding. I was given no food. There were two guards with me at all times. I got malaria. I had bad diarrhoea. These two guys would take me into a crocodile-infested bog to do the toilet. It was terrifying. I wouldnt put my worst enemy through that.

Westlands captors took all of his possessions, including his wedding ring and mobile phones. It was then they started demanding a ransom.

He said: They asked for my wifes number but I wouldnt give it to them. The only person I wanted them to talk to was my line manager, because hed been in Nigeria longer than me. Every time they called him it was done with my phone. They actually had it hanging from a tree to get network. I was only allowed to talk when they told me to talk. I was only allowed to say what they told me to say.

They threatened to set me on fire. The boy that said it couldnt have been older than 14. I always thought being burnt alive would be the worst death ever, and to have someone tell you theyre going to do it to you was devastating.

I was going to grab a gun and turn it on myself, but I wouldnt know what to do with a gun. I was going to grab a machete Westland whispers, it was terrible. How people can do that to other human beings I just dont know.

It was in his darkest moment that Westland decided to fake a heart attack, which ultimately forced the hand of his captors and ended the horse trading with the company he worked for.

He started rolling on the ground, eyes swivelling, tongue lolling, shaking violently. Fearing they were about to lose their bargaining chip, the pirates settled for just 56,000 and handed Westland over five days after he was taken.

He said: They got a scare. I really put it on. One of the guys put his hand on my chest and said we need to get him out of here hes not going to survive.

When they did the money transfer I still thought I would be killed. They had no reason to set me free. Life means nothing to these pirates.

Westland has never returned to sea and still suffers from flashbacks. "I was seeing counsellors and they told me there was a 99 per cent chance Id have a nervous breakdown if I did [go back].

He was advised that writing a book could be cathartic and bring closure.

I think it has helped me because Im able to talk about it now but I still cant live with it. It just destroyed me.

The main reason I wrote the book was to warn others about the dangers. If it serves as a warning to others it will have done some good.

A Captains Ransom is out on May 28

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A captain's tale. Hostage on the high seas (From HeraldScotland) - Herald Scotland