Injured captain undergoes further surgery

Seok's health improving fast'

By Lee Tae-hoon

Seok Hae-kyun, the captain of a freighter freed from Somali pirates, underwent orthopedic surgery to fix fractured bones Friday, a doctor said.

Ajou University Hospital in Suwon said the operation had to wait until the condition of the injured captain had stabilized.

Captain Seok, 58, suffered multiple gunshot wounds during a rescue operation by South Korean Navy commandos last month.

He, however, was put back on a respirator one day after regaining consciousness due to signs of pneumonia complications.

“He has been fast recovering from pulmonary edema and pneumonia,” a member of the medical team at the hospital said. “We began the operation at 8:00 a.m. for the three wounds in the abdominal area as well as the three fractures.”

In order to minimize the stress and time associated with surgery, 12 doctors participated in the operation.

“It will likely take a month or two before he makes a complete recovery,” the team said.

Seok was the only one wounded among the 21-member crew of the 11,500-ton chemical carrier Samho Jewelry, which was hijacked by Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean on Jan. 15.

Doctors say they plan to place him in an induced coma until his lungs can function properly.

A special Coast Guard investigation team has concluded that Somali pirate Arai Mahomed shot Seok during the rescue operation in the Arabian Sea on Jan. 21.

“The Korean sailors of the Samho Jewelry have all stated that one of the Somali pirates shot the captain who was lying face down on the floor of the bridge after the rescue operation began,’’ said Kim Chung-gyu, the head of the team. “They all pointed to Mahomed as the culprit.”

But a bullet retrieved from the leg of Seok was found to have been fired by a South Korean commando, while one bullet removed from his body remains missing.

The 23-year-old Somali continues to deny the allegations.

Seok is credited with helping the successful rescue operation.

Despite constant threats by the armed pirates, the captain slowed his vessel from moving toward the Somali coast by mixing water with the engine oil, as well as steering the carrier in a zigzag path or sometimes backtracking.