Sunday, April 12, 2009

CAPTAIN PHILLIPS RESCUED

Capt. Richard Phillips, who was being held for ransom by Somali pirates, after escaping from the life boat has been rescued by Navy Seals. Three pirates were shot and killed and one is in custody.

From MSNBC:

Captain held by pirates rescued

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, U.S. officials said.

Capt. Richard Phillips' crew, who said they escaped after he offered himself to the pirates as a hostage, erupted in cheers abroad their ship docked in Mombasa, Kenya, waving an American flag and firing a flare in celebration.

The U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet said Phillips was resting comfortably on a U.S. warship after receiving a medical exam.

The Navy said Phillips was freed at 7:19 p.m. local time. He was taken aboard the Norfolk, Virginia-based USS Bainbridge and then flown to the San Diego-based USS Boxer for the medial exam, 5th Fleet spokesman Lt. Nathan Christensen said.






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2 comments:

HermitJim said...

I'm glasd he's safe! Finally someone took action...and unlike the French, no hostage was killed!

Sunday, April 12, 2009 11:53:00 PM
Grandpa Eddie said...

Jim - I'm glad that he was finally freed, too. It was starting to look like the outcome wouldn't be good.

It's too bad that one of the French hostages died during the rescue. The French did the right thing though, that standoff had to end.

Monday, April 13, 2009 6:57:00 AM

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