BOSTON -- A New England man was at the helm of a U.S. cargo ship that was attacked early Wednesday morning by Somali pirates.

Paul Rochford, of Barrington, R.I., is the captain on the Maersk Alabama, which was able to fight off the attack with gunfire and a high-decibel noise device.

It was the second time in seven months that the ship came under attack. Rochford attended Massachusetts Maritime Academy and graduated in 1979 with Capt. Richard Phillips, who was the captain of the Maersk Alabama when it was hijacked in April by pirates off the coast of Africa.

Phillips, a native of Worcester, was rescued in a U.S. Navy operation that killed three of the four Somali pirates who had been holding him in a lifeboat. Pirates took the captain hostage for five days after the Maersk Alabama's crew regained control of the vessel.

"This is a great example of how merchant mariners can take proactive action to prevent being attacked and why we recommend that ships follow industry best practices if they're in high-risk areas," Vice Adm. Bill Gortney of the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, said in a statement.

Rochford's wife, Kimberly Rochford, said she heard about the attack while watching television Wednesday morning. She said her husband is on a four-month mission and is expected to be home for Thanksgiving.

She's anxious to speak to her husband and said she's thankful for the guards who saved the ship.

"He said this is something that happens frequently that pirates come aboard," Kimberly Rochford said.

"They did what they were supposed to do and they had the equipment to do it," the captain's sister, Amy Rochford said.

A U.S. surveillance plane was monitoring the ship Wednesday as it continued to its destination in the Kenyan coast.

"Everything is safe and secure and Maersk Alabama is proceeding to their intended destination," said Lt. Nathan Christensen, the Bahrain-based spokesman for the 5th Fleet.

Meanwhile, a Somalia pirate said the captain of another ship that was captured earlier this week died of wounds Tuesday night he suffered during the attack. The Virgin-Islands-owned tanker Theresa was taken on Monday. It had a crew of 28 North Korean members on board at the time.