A Calgary couple was terrified when armed pirates boarded their sailboat and demanded money recently, then abandoned them on a remote part of the Honduras coastline.
Andy Wasinger, 46, and Loretta Reinholdt, 54, set out on the adventure of a lifetime two weeks ago, helping transfer a boat from Belize to the island of Roatan in Honduras and learning to sail in the process from an American captain named Dave.
But just a few days into the adventure, they ran into trouble.
"The weather was pretty rough. We had strong winds and big waves and that's when we noticed a small fishing boat approaching us from behind," said Wasinger, a former computer programmer, during a Skype interview Friday with CTV News Channel.
The four men in the fishing boat were holding up jerry cans, asking for gasoline, but the trio soon discovered it was a ruse.
"When the boat came closer we told Loretta to hide downstairs because we already knew something weird was going on, and minutes later we were boarded by armed pirates. They had guns, they had a harpoon and a knife," Wasinger said. "I was terrified, frightened for Loretta mostly."
The situation quickly escalated, with the pirates demanding money from the three sailors and threatening violence. First they held Wasinger at gunpoint, then Reinholdt, before ransacking the captain's quarters.
"They tore his place apart, yelling and screaming that they wanted more money," Reinholdt, a retired nurse, told CTV News Channel. "They came back up on deck and they pulled my hair and they took a knife to my throat and threated to kill me if they didn't get more money. This is when the captain did find some more money in his quarters. He gave it to them but they were still not satisfied."
Reinholdt said the pirates appeared to be agitated and in a hurry during the ordeal. Eventually the men took control of the vessel, steering it to a hidden bay and running the boat at full speed into shore, effectively grounding the sailboat.
Then they cut the main sail lines, electrical lines to the boat's GPS and VHF and took anything of value that they could carry away with them, the couple said. They told the couple, along with the captain, to go below and stay there.
"After about five minutes we couldn't hear anything, we peeked outside to see if we were safe and they were gone. We rejoiced that we were alive," Reinholdt said.
However, that relief quickly turned to panic over fears the pirates could return. The couple, along with the captain, decided to wade ashore and set up a camp in a nearby mangrove swamp where they could hide out in case they did come back.
They spent four days in the jungle, drinking rainwater and using the sail as a makeshift tent.
Wasinger said they eventually found a trail which led to the entrance to Jeanette Kawas National Park -- a park that is only accessible by water. They set up an SOS on the ground using sticks, and after four days a group of hikers approached the beach where they had run aground.
"It was great. It was one of the best moments of my life, I think. I was ecstatic," Wasinger said. "I know we can go through anything in life now after this situation. We are a lot closer as a couple and we live life every day as if it is our last."
After their rescue the couple met President Juan Orlando Hernández, who offered them a ride in his presidential helicopter to the nearest airport. And the Honduran government covered the cost of their flight to Mexico.
A spokesperson for Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs said the government was aware of reports of the attack and was in touch with local authorities to gather information.
“Canadians travelling to Honduras should be aware that serious crime -- including armed robbery, kidnapping, carjacking, home invasion and sexual assault -- is common, and armed attacks on marine vessels have been reported,” said the statement.
