'Quest' Crew Killed

[Loco Gato]

From fox news

Four Americans Killed on Yacht Hijacked by Pirates


Published February 22, 2011 | FoxNews.com

DEVELOPING STORY: Four Americans aboard a yacht hijacked by Somali pirates have been killed, Fox News has confirmed.
U.S. forces responded to gunfire aboard the yacht Quest at approximately 1 a.m. Tuesday, but discovered all four hostages had been shot by their captors. Despite steps to provide life-saving care, all four hostages died of their wounds.
“We express our deepest condolences for the innocent lives callously lost aboard the Quest,” said Gen James N. Mattis, U.S. Central Command Commander in a news release.
Two pirates died during the confrontation and 13 were captured and detained, along with two pirates already in custody. U.S. forces also found the remains of two other pirates already dead aboard the vessel and believe a total of 19 pirates were involved in the hijacking.
The yacht Quest was hijacked on Friday off the coast of Oman and U.S. forces had been closely monitoring the vessel.
Pirates have increased attacks on ships off the coast of East Africa, but Americans have rarely been targeted. The last attack against a U.S. crew -- in 2009 -- ended with Navy sharpshooters killing two pirates and rescuing the ship's captain.
This is a developing story. Please refresh for additional updates.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.







From CNN


Americans slain by captors on hijacked yacht; pirates killed, arrested

(CNN) -- Four hostages on board a yacht hijacked by pirates last week were killed by their captors, U.S. Central Command said in a statement Tuesday.
The vessel, named the Quest, was being shadowed by the military after being captured by pirates off the coast of Oman on Friday. Officials had said earlier Tuesday it was less than two days from the Somali coast.
Americans Jean and Scott Adam -- the owners of the ship -- and Phyllis Macay and Bob Riggle, had been traveling with yachts participating in the Blue Water Rally since their departure from Phuket, Thailand, rally organizers said Sunday in a statement on the event's website. The group, which organizes long-distance group cruises, said the Quest broke off on February 15 after leaving Mumbai, India, to take a different route.
As negotiations were ongoing with the pirates for the hostages' release, gunfire was heard at about 1 a.m. ET Tuesday, U.S. Central Command said.
"As (U.S. forces) responded to the gunfire, reaching and boarding the Quest, the forces discovered all four hostages had been shot by their captors," the statement said. "Despite immediate steps to provide life-saving care, all four hostages ultimately died of their wounds."
The pirates engaged the U.S. forces on board, officials said. Two pirates were killed in the skirmish and 13 were captured and detained. Two others were already in U.S. forces custody, the statement said, and the remains of two pirates were found on board. "In total, it is believed 19 pirates were involved in the hijacking" of the vessel, Central Command said.
Forces had been monitoring the Quest for three days, officials said. Four U.S. Navy warships were involved in the response force -- an aircraft carrier, a guided-missile cruiser and two guided-missile destroyers, according to the statement.
A senior military official said on Monday the military was trailing the yacht. U.S. officials have not identified the people on board the ship, but confirmed that four U.S. citizens were involved.
Another U.S. official, who asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the situation, said previously that the United States was determining what military assets were in the region and the capabilities of the personnel on board.
Piracy has flourished off the coast of Somalia, which has not had an effective government for two decades. In April 2009, pirates seized the U.S.-flagged Maersk Alabama, leading to a standoff in the Indian Ocean.
U.S. forces moved to rescue American Capt. Richard Phillips after seeing a pirate aiming a weapon on his back, officials said at the time.
Three pirates were killed and one was arrested. The Somali man arrested was convicted of acts related to high-seas piracy and was sentenced last week in New York to more than 30 years in prison by a federal court.

Find this article at:
Americans slain by captors on hijacked yacht; pirates killed, arrested - CNN.com

[RiverRat]

4 American hostages killed by pirates, US says - Yahoo! News

[RiverRat]

So very sad.

[Rolf the Rotten]

I'm upset that our Navy was close enough to hear the crew being shot and did nothing about it. Very, very disturbing news all around.

[Inverlyon]

Originally Posted by Rolf the Rotten

I'm upset that our Navy was close enough to hear the crew being shot and did nothing about it. Very, very disturbing news all around.

They did not do nothing about it.

They immediately boarded and took the vessel at great risk to their own lives.

[RickD]

Originally Posted by Rolf the Rotten

I'm upset that our Navy was close enough to hear the crew being shot and did nothing about it. Very, very disturbing news all around.

That's a supposition "did nothing about it."

According to my sources, which are very good ones where I work, they were in the PROCESS of "doing something about it". They were trying to get to the vessel to get them out.

However, I'll leave it at this. This is a very bad situation, very sad, very wrong and blaming their deaths on the US Navy is also wrong.

[psneeld]

Originally Posted by Rolf the Rotten

I'm upset that our Navy was close enough to hear the crew being shot and did nothing about it. Very, very disturbing news all around.

feel free to ask to take over the Navy's job because you don't seem to think they are qualified ...

[Rolf the Rotten]

Yes, that is my supposition based on what I've read. They were there, and did nothing to prevent this. I'm very disappointed in the apparent lack of action. Navy has been shadowing them for how long, three full days? To be clear, if I'm the hostage then please come storming in with all guns blazing and I'll take my chances.

[Rolf the Rotten]

Originally Posted by psneeld

feel free to ask to take over the Navy's job because you don't seem to think they are qualified ...

As noted, this is my position and until I know more information I'm not moving on it. I am not qualified to do the Navy's job, and I am not sure it's their job to rescue hostages, but I think it 's their job, and they were there so get rescuing. As I said, if it's me, please come in firing all barrels and making a lot of scary noise.

[nv5l]

Hi Rolf, I hope you never get your wish, but I'm afraid this is exactly what the Navy was doing at the time. There's a Reuters report out there you might find interesting.

But until more information becomes available, it's a bit early to start blaming anyone -- other than the pirates in the first place.

[easterly38]

Originally Posted by Rolf the Rotten

I'm upset that our Navy was close enough to hear the crew being shot and did nothing about it. Very, very disturbing news all around.

I didn't see a story reporting how close the Navy vessels were to the Quest. They obviously were not close enough to board in time to save any of the hostages aboard as what I read said the Navy responded immediately. It would only take 2-3 seconds to kill four hostages at the most. That's not enough time to rescue anyone, no matter how close the nearest Navy vessel was.

[RickD]

Southern Californian couple Scott and Jean Adam are among the four dead aboard the Quest, the American yacht hijacked by Somali pirates in the Gulf of Arden, reports the LA Times. Negotiations were underway between the pirates, who were holding the Adams and Seattle-based couple Phyllis Mackay and Bob Riggle hostage, and U.S. military personnel when shots were fired. Both couples on the Quest were shot dead by their captors.

U.S. Navy personnel killed two of the pirates, and captured 13. The bodies of the two pirates were found aboard the Quest when it was boarded by military personnel.


Scott and Jean Adam had been living on their yacht since 2004, and were sailing around the world on a Christian mission to share Bibles, according to CBS2. Their voyages, vessel, and mission were detailed on their website. They were headed from Oman to Djibouti, then planned to sail on to Egypt, Crete, Turkey, and London, England, through Spring 2011. The Gulf of Arden is considered some of the world's most dangerous waters.


Prior to living on the Quest, Scott Adam "had been an associate producer in Hollywood," before "he turned in a spiritual direction and enrolled in the seminary a decade ago." According to the Associated Press, the Quest was based in Marina del Rey.

[senormechanico]

The Navy probably did all it could under the circumstances, but once hostages are taken it gets dicey very quickly.

How long is it going to be before pirate ships in any form are shot on sight?
This isn't rocket science.

[Southern Star]

Rolf, by the time they heard the gunshots there was nothing they could do about it (apart from what they did do - which was then board the vessel). I have every confidence that the navy was not simply standing-by to avoid a firefight, but making plans prior to an attack/boarding that minimized the risk to the hostages (if negotiations failed). Surely this is something which should always be the priority.

Did their plans succeed? Insofar as their goal was saving the captives, obviously not; however, they did ultimately succeed in capturing those responsible and there is no reason to believe that an earlier assault on the pirates would have brought about a different result.

My sympathy goes out to not only the families of those who were murdered, but also to the crew of the naval vessels invovled: in discovering that their efforts were in vain, they had to suffer through the sounds of the murder of their fellow countrymen and then the discovery of their bodies.

Brad

[barnakiel]

Very sad news.

b.