MANATEE — A self-described “regular working guy,” Ken Quinn lived in anonymity on a quiet street in Lakewood Ranch until two weeks ago.
But he came home to a hero’s welcome Tuesday, along with his wife, Zoya, and their sons, Jason, 3, and Justin, 2 months.
When the family strode down a concourse at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport to face a battery of reporters and cameras, fresh from their JetBlue flight from New York, strangers standing a few feet away cheered and applauded.
It was a visceral reaction of relief and celebration to how Quinn, second mate of the cargo ship Maersk Alabama, and the rest of the crew stood up to Somali pirates and thwarted an attempted hijacking.
The Quinn family felt a similar loving embrace when they arrived in a long black limousine to a sign-waving, flag-waving crowd at Lakewood Ranch Main Street. He stepped up on a stage outside MacAllisters Restaurant and fielded questions for more than 50 minutes.
Even though Quinn had been interviewed by some of the national TV networks in New York, interviews which he handled with aplomb and good humor, he seemed to want to pinch himself to make sure it was all real.
“I just never expected this. I don’t feel like parade material,” said Quinn, wearing khaki pants and a pull-over shirt, while holding a squirming Jason.
Quinn’s sister, Judi Quinn-Roy, came to the homecoming at Lakewood Ranch.
“I am just so proud of him. He was physically and mentally exhausted” by the ordeal off Somalia, Quinn-Roy said.
His actions helped save the other crew members and he also helped save a pirate’s life by giving him first aid, she said.
“He helped keep the crew calm and he kept any more harm from coming to the (captured) pirate,” she said.
Quinn said he was aware of how the community rallied around Zoya and their sons.
“It’s overwhelming,” said a grateful Quinn. “It’s an incredible feeling. It really made me feel like a part of this community.”
Quinn praised Capt. Richard Phillips, who gave himself up as a hostage in exchange for the lives of his crew and allowing the Maersk Alabama to go free.
“He’s got some guts. He’s got a lot of character,” Quinn said of Phillips.
Pirates held Phillips aboard a drifting lifeboat for several days, shadowed by the Maersk Alabama and U.S. warships. Elite Navy SEALs finally ended the standoff by shooting three of the pirates dead, fearing Phillips’ life was endangered.
Quinn also praised the rest of the crew for resisting the pirates and taking one of them prisoner. “They were under the gun and were equally heroes,” he said.
Fourteen of the crew were locked in a safe room for 10 hours where pirates couldn’t reach them. At some point, the ships’ chief engineer jumped a pirate in the dark and pushed him into the safe room.
“So now we’ve got the pirate leader as prisoner and they have two of our guys,” Quinn said. The stalemate led the pirates to agree to exchange the rest of the crew for Phillips.
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