site.btaGalaxy Leader Returnee Receives Official Welcome in Gorna Oryahovitsa

Danail Veselinov, the Bulgarian first officer of bulk carrier Galaxy Leader, received an official welcome in his hometown of Gorna Oryahovitsa on Monday after returning from 14 months of captivity together with the vessel's Bulgarian captain Lyubomir Chanev.

The Galaxy Leader was seized by Houthis off the coast of Yemen in November 2023. The international crew was eventually released, according to an announcement made on January 22, 2025.

Gorna Oryahovitsa Mayor Nikolai Rashkov presented Veselinov with a plaquette honouring him as a "Worthy Resident of Gorna Oryahovitsa". Rashkov praised the two Bulgarian crew members for keeping their composure and averting possible mishaps during captivity, thus helping the whole crew to survive.

Veselinov thanked his family for their patience, and the government for their efforts to free the hostages and make their time in captivity more bearable.

He said it is very likely that he will stop practicing his profession after the incident. He wants to spend more time with his family. In fact, this has been on his mind throughout his 13-year sailing career.

According to Veselinov, the choice of the Houthis to capture Galaxy Leader had nothing to do with the ship's crew or its cargo. The sailor feels he fell victim to political and military actions but accepts his kidnapping as an occupational hazard. "It's unnatural for innocent people to be held up for so long, I never expected it, but anyway, it's over now," he commented. Veselinov said his life has been scarred forever, which is one reason why he will likely quit his job.

As a captive, he had moments when he wanted the captain and himself to be allowed to rejoin the crew, but his request was denied because the hostage-takers treated them differently due to the importance of their positions. Veselinov said they felt like prisoners all the time. "We hoped it could end at any moment, but I was mentally prepared to endure it for years," he said.

He believes that the hostage-takers deserve most of the credit for the fact that the crew returned home safe and sound because they made sure the crew had all essentials and kept them apart from the local population, which could potentially be manipulated into behaving aggressively.

Veselinov is now in his home in Parvomaytsi, Gorna Oryahovitsa Municipality, where he lives with his wife and their 15-year-old daughter.