US Sea Captain Freed in Swift Firefight

The Associated Press and others are reporting that Richard Phillips, Captain of the Maersk Alabama, 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. AP cites the ship’s owner and an unnamed US official.

Update: CNN reports that Captain Phillips jumped overboard from the lifeboat where he was being held (see Update 2 note below), and US Navy SEALs shot and killed three of his four captors, according to a senior US official with knowledge of the situation. The fourth pirate was aboard the USS Bainbridge negotiating with officials and was taken into custody.

Update 2: a second overboard adventure is not a part of the current final rescue story, not to be confused with his brief dip earlier in the saga. Safe home, Capt Phillips. Nice shooting, USN. Let’s all stay tuned to see what kind of a game changer this becomes in GoA piracy.