MOMBASA, Kenya – An American ship captain was freed unharmed Sunday in a swift firefight that killed three of the four Somali pirates who had been holding him for days in a lifeboat off the coast of Africa, the ship's owner said.
A senior U.S. intelligence official said a pirate who had been involved in negotiations to free Capt. Richard Phillips but who was not on the lifeboat was in custody.
Phillips, 53, of Underhill, Vermont, was safely transported to a Navy warship nearby.
Maersk Line Limited President and CEO John Reinhart said in a news release that the U.S. government informed the company around 1:30 p.m. EDT Sunday that Phillips had been rescued. Reinhart said the company called Phillips' wife, Andrea, to tell her the news.
Update: Confederate Yankee notes that the captain was freed when he threw himself overboard again:
Captain Richard Phillips escaped from his Somali captors and threw himself off the lifeboat once more, and this time, Navy SEALS were lurking in the water to receive him.
The results were predictable:
Three of the pirates were killed and one was in custody after what appeared to be a swift firefight off the Somali coast, the official said.
Initial reports indicate Phillips jumped overboard for a second time and the military was able to take advantage of the situation.for
If that's how Captain Phillips freed himself, I'm impressed indeed by his persistence, ingenuity and bravery. Put him alongside airline pilot Chesley Sullenberger (who managed to land his plane and passengers safely on the Hudson River in January) as a true American hero.
Update 2: With more details coming out, it sounds like most of the credit for this rescue belongs with the U.S. Navy:
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) - Navy snipers on the fantail of a destroyer cut down three Somali pirates in a lifeboat and rescued an American sea captain in a surprise nighttime assault in choppy seas Easter Sunday, ending a five-day standoff between a team of rogue gunmen and the world's most powerful military.
It was a stunning ending to an Indian Ocean odyssey that began when 53-year-old freighter Capt. Richard Phillips was taken hostage Wednesday by pirates who tried to hijack the U.S.-flagged Maersk Alabama. The Vermont native was held on a tiny lifeboat that began drifting precariously toward Somalia's anarchic, gun-plagued shores.
. . . . Negotiations with the three pirates were growing heated, Vice Adm. Bill Gortney said.
One of them pointed an AK-47 at the back of Phillips, who was tied up and in "imminent danger" of being killed when the commander of the nearby USS Bainbridge made the split-second decision to order his men to shoot, Gortney said. Navy snipers took aim at the pirates' heads and shoulders, he said. The lifeboat was about 25-30 yards away and was being towed by the Bainbridge at the time, he said.
A fourth pirate had surrendered earlier in the day and could face life in a U.S. prison.
Well, what you wrote is pretty much what I got from the first report that I initially got from the first online news sources, but then,...... surprisingly, it sort of changed to Obama gave an OK to have the Somaili's fired upon in a conference call between the FBI and the Navy on Friday. Of course, he wants to take credit for the whole thing going down pretty effortlessly with him in the White House doing the directing, yeah, like I really believe that whopper!!!!!
Personally, I think that it happened pretty much the way you have it written, that one man ventured out to see if he could get the Navy to adhere to some demands (they wanted to let Phillips go, and were not going to demand any ransom money but wanted to have free passage away and not be prosecuted for the hijacking of the ship) but when he reached the Bainbridge, he wanted asylum and turned himself in, and the others aboard the little priate skiff saw what happened and decided to shoot Phillips and he bolted and jumped back into the sea (a second time) and the crew of the Bainbridge saw what was going down and fired back at the Pirates (to give Phillips cover and safe passage to a skiff that was waiting nearby) and killed them, and then picked Phillips up. Obama probably gave word on Friday that whatever they could do, was mainly OK with him, but that is all he did, he VOTED PRESENT.....
For Obama to have sent the FBI into the fray was the stupidist mistake anyone could make, casue what did/would/should the FBI have to do with a Pirate capturing a crew of a freighter in the Indian Ocean, and then have to do with the Criminality of the event, except that "IT LOOKED GOOD" to have that many people actively involved. The ship is flying the flag of the USA, and the cargo was all donated foods by the US and UN charter groups going to Kenya, nothing big there, so why the big strapping FBI involvement?? Did he think that the Pirates would be captured alive and he would be able to work out some sort of criminal defense for them if they were brought back to America??? Like WTF do we want them here for, anyway???
Anyway, I think it all happened for the best the way it went down, sure wish it would have happened sooner, but I am happy as all get out that Phillips is safe and on his way again with his ship and crew (unless he got early release for extenuating circumstances and is flying home tonight) that totally love him and going to be back home soon to his family, all safe and sound, having survived the nasty grasp of modern day Priates. He is just as much of a hero to me as Sullenberger is, only in a different way, of course. It was the Navy, the crews of the Bainbridge and the Halyburton, and Phillips all together who charted the course here. Ofnote also is the crew of Maersk Lines Alabama, who handled themselves with note and honor during the crisis and obeyed their Captain.
Obama had nothing important to do with this course of action, the way the men responded or the safety of Phillips, except giving an OK, as far as I am concerned.
Posted by: Claudia | April 13, 2009 at 12:42 AM
at least captain phillips is home safe with his family now.
Posted by: volcano vaporizer | April 13, 2009 at 03:43 AM