Navy: US captain released by Somali pirates
The US Navy claims the captain of an American cargo ship has been released by Somali pirates
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Sunday, 12, Apr 2009 10:35
The US Navy has claimed the captain of an American cargo ship has been freed from Somali pirates.
Reports suggest Richard Phillips was freed in a firefight after he jumped overboard from the lifeboat on which he was being held hostage.
Three of the pirates are said to have been killed in the subsequent fighting, but Mr Philips was able to swim free unharmed and is now recovering on the USS Bainbridge.
Today's intervention came after a group of Somali elders took to the sea in a bid to resolve the standoff between the US Navy and the pirates.
Mr Phillips, the captain of the Maersk Alabama cargo ship, was seized by Somali pirates on Wednesday between Kenya and the Seychelles after volunteering to get into the pirates' lifeboat in exchange for the safety of his crew.
A standoff persisted between the US navy and the pirates as reports suggested that the pirates were refusing to release the hostage until they are allowed to dock.
Upon returning to land in Mombasa, the crew of the hijacked ship hailed Mr Phillips as a hero for giving himself up to the pirates in exchange for their freedom.
Crew member Ken Quinn said: "He saved our lives... He's a hero."
Previously, Mr Phillips had tried to escape by diving into the sea on Friday but was recaptured when the pirates opened fire in view of a US navy destroyer.
The hostage drama comes after French special forces killed two pirates and captured three while securing the release of yacht passengers held captive off East Africa.