After surviving the Maersk Alabama hijacking in 2009, American merchant mariner Richard Phillips became well-known. He previously served as Captain of the MV Maersk Alabama while Somali pirates took control of the ship.
Professional Life And Career
Though Richard Phillips’ professional achievements are well-known to audiences, his personal life is unknown to many. But, without a doubt, his personal life is as appealing as his professional life.
Richard Phillips Grows Closer To Family After 2009 The hero of the high seas, Richard Phillips, is happily married to Andrea Coggio.
Richard and Andrea first met while Andrea was a nursing student. Richard began dating Andrea, and the couple decided to give their love a new name: marriage.
Andrea and Richard first met in Boston. After falling in love, the lovely couple exchanged wedding vows in front of their friends and families in 1987. Richard and Andrea, who have been married for over 30 years, live in Underhill, Vermont, and have two children, Mariah and Danny.
Their bond was strengthened after a harrowing incident in 2009 in which Somali pirates hijacked Richard’s ship and he escaped heroically.
Gina Coggio, Richard’s half-sister (Andrea’s sister), was equally concerned about Richard during the situation. She also stated that Richard may have surrendered to the pirates in order to ensure the crew’s safety.
Richard later shared an indescribable joy of being alive with his family following the bizarre event.
Phillip’s wife thanked the Navy crew that rescued her husband from the terrifying situation with tears in her eyes. The specific circumstance made Richard realize that when you’re down, the only thing that comes to mind is family.
Although the event was dreadful, it enriched Richard’s family’s affection and brought them closer together.
Richard Phillips: Bio, Achievements and Net Worth
Richard Phillips, born on May 16, 1955, grew up in Massachusetts, the United States, with his seven brothers and sisters. His father was a high school basketball coach, which inspired Richard to pursue a career in sports.
Richard Phillips graduated from Winchester High School in 1973. He then enrolled at the University of Massachusetts Amherst to study international law. He did, however, transfer to the Massachusetts Maritime Academy and graduated in 1979.
Phillips experienced hell in April 2009, when the ship he was captaining was hijacked by Somali pirates. The hostage crisis began on April 8, when four Somali attackers took over the Maersk Alabama, a container ship transporting food aid to East Africa.
Richard made the deliberate decision to offer himself as a hostage in order to save his crew of 20.
Phillips and his crew members were rescued by the US Navy after a five-day heroic struggle.
Following the hijacking, Richard wrote A Captain’s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea, which detailed his terrifying experience and remarkable rescue.
Furthermore, his true story was turned into an Oscar-nominated film, Captain Phillips, in 2013, starring Tom Hanks as his character. The film grossed over $218 million worldwide.
Phillips has an impressive net worth as a successful author. However, his actual earnings are limited to the present.
He is a regular author who has published over ten books to date. Dead Shift, The Kasari Nexus, Once Dead, The Meridian Ascent, Curse of the Chosen, and other works are among his other works.
However, Richard does not appear to be content with simply writing books, as he is also involved in the release of introductory trailers for each of his books.
He released the trailer for his new introductory trailer video for the book, Once Dead, on July 30, 2018. Once Dead is a book that was released in 2014.
Aside from that, Phillips has his own official website where he posts updates on his recent activities. He recently updated his new “Lindsay II” artwork.
The artwork on his website, he claims, reveals an emotional awareness of his present and past.
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