The Seychelles Police Force has completed its autopsy on the two US private security officers found dead on board Maersk Alabama last week.
The police found that the two security officers, who were former US Navy SEALS, died of “respiratory failure, with suspicion of myocardial infarction (heart attack)”.
“Samples of urine, blood, stomach contents etc, from the two men are being sent to Mauritius for forensic analysis to establish if they had consumed a substance which may have induced these events,” the police added.
The police named the two men as Jeffrey Reynolds and Mark Kennedy, who were contracted out to Maersk from Trident Group, a security firm in Virginia.
Arrangements are being made to repatriate the bodies.
In a statement, Trident Group chief executive Thomas Rothrauff urged people not not make assumptions about the incident without knowing all the facts.
He said: “Assumptions are being reported about this situation without the benefit of any fact-based information.
“These reports have been devastating to Mark and Jeff’s family, friends and SEAL brothers and we urge them to cease.
“Trident Group will continue to support Mark and Jeff through the repatriation process until they are safely back with their loved ones.
“I urge everyone to consider the honourable service to this country and dedication to the commercial merchant industry that Mark and Jeff have provided before conclusions are jumped to and judgement is passed over these two special warfare operators.”
The two men were found dead in a cabin on the 1,092 teu containership last Tuesday in Port Victoria in the Seychelles, where it had berthed the previous day.
Maersk said in its statement last week that Trident had been hired in accordance with US Coast Guard security directives.
The hijacking of Maersk Alabama by Somali pirates in 2009 inspired the film Captain Phillips, starring Tom Hanks.
For more maritime news see Lloyd’s List
