SHIVER ME TIMBERS

Shots Fired From Richard Burton’s Yacht After Coast Guard Mistaken for Pirates

Two vessels lit each other up over a big misunderstanding.

Armed security guards on a luxury yacht once owned by the actor Richard Burton opened fire on the Yemeni Coast Guard on Friday after mistaking the officials for pirates, according to a report. The Associated Press reports the incident involving the vessel named Kalizma took place in the Gulf of Aden after the Coast Guard approached the boat, which hadn’t responded to radio calls. When the shooting began, the Coast Guard “returned fire and followed the yacht for approximately an hour until communications with the yacht could be established and the misunderstanding between the parties resolved,” maritime intelligence company Ambrey said in a brief. It’s not clear if anyone was hurt in the melee. The Kalizma was bought by Welsh actor Burton in 1967 and he was on board the ship when he proposed to Elizabeth Taylor with the 69.42 carat diamond now known as the Taylor-Burton diamond. The boat was more recently owned by Indian investor Shirish Saraf, according to Boat International.