Since that happened, the Maersk Alabama has twice rebuffed pirate attacks, in part because the ship now deploys armed guards like Mr. “Curse of the Maersk Alabama Strikes Again,” read the headline across the front page of a newspaper here, referring to the piracy during which the ship’s captain was held hostage in a lifeboat.

“The police preliminary investigation report includes suspicion of drug use, as indicated by the presence of a syringe and traces of heroin, which were found in the cabin,” said Jean Toussaint, a police spokesman. On Monday, the police on this Indian Ocean island said that autopsies showed the official cause of death for both men was respiratory failure and possible heart attacks. Kennedy - so clean cut and chiseled that he was nicknamed Captain America - was asked about possible drug use by his friend, he said, “There’s no way you can do their job and that.” When Jeremy White, a former Navy reservist and workout partner of Mr. People who knew the men expressed shock that either would have used heroin, and former crew members on the Maersk said drug use was prohibited. Boredom, both men had told friends, was the real enemy on the open sea.

Kennedy worked for a private security company, Trident Group, protecting the Maersk Alabama’s crew and cargo from attacks. Still, long days at sea guarding against piracy - a threat that has receded significantly in recent years - were a stark contrast to their past lives in an elite military unit. They were known as much for their zest for life as their hulking physiques. While veterans, especially those returning from war zones, have shown a high prevalence of substance abuse and other risky behaviors, friends, family and acquaintances of the two men said they seemed to have adjusted well to civilian life after years in the military.

Burly men at sea seals swim