WASHINGTON AND DJIBOUTI — After days of tense negotiations, the U.S. Navy rescued an American sea captain in seconds Sunday, with snipers shooting three Somali pirates who officials feared were about to kill him.
The commanding officer of the U.S. guided missile destroyer Bainbridge had received approval from President Obama to attempt a rescue of Capt. Richard Phillips by force if his life appeared to be in imminent danger after five days of captivity off the coast of Somalia.
With the seas in the Gulf of Aden getting choppier and the increasingly agitated captors pointing an automatic weapon at Phillips, Cmdr. Frank Castellano decided he had no other option, Navy Vice Adm. William Gortney said.
Castellano gave the green light, and sharpshooters on the fantail of the naval warship opened fire on the partially exposed pirates aboard the small enclosed lifeboat.
Phillips, who was bound and standing, was not injured in the rescue, which occurred just after dark at 7:19 p.m., said Gortney, commander of the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command. He gave an account of the rescue operation and the events leading up to it in a Pentagon conference call Sunday evening from the Persian Gulf nation of Bahrain.
Phillips' three captors, who were armed with AK-47 assault rifles and small-caliber pistols, probably were killed instantaneously by the snipers. "We pay a lot for their training and we earned a good return on their investment tonight," Gortney said.
A fourth pirate, who was aboard the Bainbridge negotiating with the Navy over Phillips' release, was taken into custody by U.S. authorities.
After the rescue, Phillips, 53, was whisked to safety aboard the San Diego-based amphibious assault ship Boxer nearby, given a routine medical evaluation and was "resting comfortably," Gortney said.
Gortney said sailors on the Bainbridge had passed a note to Phillips from his wife, Andrea, that said, "Your family loves you, your family is praying for you, your family is saving a chocolate Easter egg for you unless your son eats it first."
"Well, Mrs. Phillips, keep your son away from those Easter eggs, his dad's headed home," Gortney said.
Phillips was taken hostage Wednesday when the pirates attempted to seize his cargo ship, the Maersk Alabama. On the Boxer, military officials confirmed that the soft-spoken captain had placed himself at risk in an effort to protect his crew, helping fight off the pirates and then offering himself as a hostage.
