Posted:
February 25, 2011
Somali pirates shot and killed four Americans this week onboard the yacht Quest, which was hijacked off the coast of Oman, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command reported. Additionally, four pirates were killed onboard the yacht and 15 are in custody.
The pirates hijacked the Quest about 190 nautical miles southeast of Masirah Island, Oman, Feb. 18, said Navy Vice Adm. Mark Fox, who commands the Navy's 5th Fleet. The Americans killed onboard the Quest were Scott and Jean Adams of California and Phyllis Macay and Bob Riggle of Washington State. The Quest was on a voyage around the world at the time of the hijacking.
Four U.S. Navy warships responded to the hijacking - the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, the guided-missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf and the guided-missile destroyers USS Sterett and USS Bulkeley. The ships located the vessel and made contact with the pirates and began a series of negotiations. Two pirates later boarded the USS Sterett to continue negotiations.
The morning of Feb. 22, a rocket-propelled grenade was fired by pirates toward the USS Sterett, and gunfire erupted inside the cabin of the Quest, Fox said. Several pirates appeared on the deck of the Quest with their hands raised in surrender.
U.S. special operations forces closed in on the Quest in small boats and boarded the yacht, where they discovered that all four hostages had been shot by their captors, Fox said. The boarding party also found two dead pirates onboard the vessel.
Two more pirates were killed as U.S. forces cleared the boat, Fox said. One was killed with a pistol, the other in a knife fight. There were no casualties to service members or damage to Navy ships. The Navy and the FBI are investigating the incident.
Pirates kill four Americans onboard yacht
Somali pirates shot and killed four Americans this week onboard the yacht Quest, which was hijacked off the coast of Oman, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command reported. Additionally, four pirates were killed onboard the yacht and 15 are in custody.
The pirates hijacked the Quest about 190 nautical miles southeast of Masirah Island, Oman, Feb. 18, said Navy Vice Adm. Mark Fox, who commands the Navy's 5th Fleet. The Americans killed onboard the Quest were Scott and Jean Adams of California and Phyllis Macay and Bob Riggle of Washington State. The Quest was on a voyage around the world at the time of the hijacking.
Four U.S. Navy warships responded to the hijacking - the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, the guided-missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf and the guided-missile destroyers USS Sterett and USS Bulkeley. The ships located the vessel and made contact with the pirates and began a series of negotiations. Two pirates later boarded the USS Sterett to continue negotiations.
The morning of Feb. 22, a rocket-propelled grenade was fired by pirates toward the USS Sterett, and gunfire erupted inside the cabin of the Quest, Fox said. Several pirates appeared on the deck of the Quest with their hands raised in surrender.
U.S. special operations forces closed in on the Quest in small boats and boarded the yacht, where they discovered that all four hostages had been shot by their captors, Fox said. The boarding party also found two dead pirates onboard the vessel.
Two more pirates were killed as U.S. forces cleared the boat, Fox said. One was killed with a pistol, the other in a knife fight. There were no casualties to service members or damage to Navy ships. The Navy and the FBI are investigating the incident.