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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Yacht couple 'could die in days' | Yacht couple 'could die in days' |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| A British man kidnapped by Somali pirates says he fears he and his wife will be killed in a matter of days. | A British man kidnapped by Somali pirates says he fears he and his wife will be killed in a matter of days. |
| Paul and Rachel Chandler, of Tunbridge Wells, Kent, disappeared while sailing towards Tanzania on 23 October. | |
| In a telephone interview with ITN, Mr Chandler, 59, said he and his wife, 55, had been separated but they had spoken on the telephone 12 days ago. | |
| He said his captors had lost patience and had set a deadline of three or four days before the couple would die. | |
| In their last phone call, Mrs Chandler had told her husband she was being constantly tormented and was "giving up". | |
| Beaten and whipped | Beaten and whipped |
| Mr Chandler likened their treatment to that of a "captive animal". | Mr Chandler likened their treatment to that of a "captive animal". |
| He told ITN: "We tried to stay together and they threw us to the ground and whipped us, and beat Rachel with the rifle butts and I was dragged off and taken to a different location." | He told ITN: "We tried to stay together and they threw us to the ground and whipped us, and beat Rachel with the rifle butts and I was dragged off and taken to a different location." |
| He said he was "just existing in hope" and said: "I'm afraid that they will just kill us and abandon us in the desert here." | He said he was "just existing in hope" and said: "I'm afraid that they will just kill us and abandon us in the desert here." |
| A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are monitoring the situation very closely and are doing everything we can to help secure a release. | A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are monitoring the situation very closely and are doing everything we can to help secure a release. |
| "We remain in regular contact with the family and are providing support. | "We remain in regular contact with the family and are providing support. |
| "We call for the safe and swift release of Paul and Rachel." | "We call for the safe and swift release of Paul and Rachel." |