TAIPEI -- A Taiwan sailor who had been abducted and held hostage by Somali pirates for almost five years returned home Wednesday.

Shen Jui-chang, the chief engineer of the Oman-flagged fishing vessel Naham 3, arrived at Taoyuan International Airport on Wednesday afternoon.

Shen, who was in bad physical shape, dropped to his knees after alighting the airplane to express his wholehearted gratitude to those who had saved him.

He said he will share his experience with the public once he is in better health.

Shen, along with 25 others on board, which included nine from the Chinese mainland, were released Saturday after almost five years in captivity.

A total of 29 men were snatched from the vessel when it was hijacked just south of the Seychelles in March 2012. Three of the captives, including one from the Chinese mainland and one from Taiwan, died after the hijacking.