TWO Dorchester sailors have been busy saving lives and tackling Somali pira-tes on the high seas.

Air Engineering Tech-nician Richard Wilmot and Naval Airman Todd Richards have spent the last six months on the Royal Navy frigate HMS Chatham with their 226 Lynx Flight helicopter from RNAS Yeovilton.

After setting off on January 5, the duo – who are both on their first overseas mission with the Navy – are due to return to the UK later this week.

HMS Chatham formed part of the NATO coalition task on Operation Shield, patrol-ling the shipping lanes in the Gulf of Aden as well as operating round the Horn of Africa and the Somali Basin.

The crew of 226 Flight have been involved in a number of successful operations and have defeated several pirate action groups to safeguard maritime trade.

Twenty-two-year-old Rich-ard, a former student at the Royal Manor School on Portland, said: “This deployment has provided me with the opportunity to push myself to the edge both physically and mentally and I feel a better person for it.”

In April, Richard and Todd’s crew helped secure the release of an Indian-flagged dhow, Vishvakalian, which had been seized by Somali pirates and was being used as a pirate mother ship.

Former Thomas Hardye School pupil Todd, 20, who joined the Royal Navy in April 2008, is responsible for maintaining and servicing all Chatham’s Lynx survival equipment.

He said: “I’m pleased to be getting home after such a long and hard deployment in the Gulf of Aden.

“I feel it was a successful operation as the number of pirate attacks dropped significantly while Chatham was in the area.”

As well as the anti-piracy operations, 226 Flight was also involved in a dramatic search and rescue mission when they were enlisted to help rescue the crew from sinking merchant vessel Dubai Moon, which had been caught up in a tropical cyclone.

Despite challenging conditions, they managed to save all 23 people on board Dubai Moon before it sank into the ocean.

As winchman, Richard played a significant role in the rescue.

He said: “Helping to save the lives of 23 sailors from Dubai Moon has got to be the most exhilarating and life changing thing I have ever taken part in.”

Richard and Todd will arrive back at Portsmouth tomorrow, where there will be a homecoming ceremony with a band and flypast.