Tragedy strikes as Somalian pirates kill 4 Americans

“Four hijacked Americans fatally shot near coast of Somalia

By Debbi Wilgoren

Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, February 22, 2011; 10:16 AM

Four Americans on a yacht hijacked by Somalia pirates were fatally shot by their captors Tuesday as U.S. forces were trying to negotiate their release, the U.S. military said in a statement.

U.S. forces heard gunfire aboard the pirated vessel, the Quest, and boarded the vessel, a statement from the Florida-based U.S. Central Command said. The yacht was off the coast of Somalia, according to the Associated Press.

"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 Quest is the home of Jean and Scott Adam of California, wire services have reported. The couple maintained a Web site about their travels, on which they had written of sailing around the world since December 2004, the AP said.

The Adams ran a Bible ministry, according to their Web site, and had been distributing Bibles to schools and churches in remote villages in areas including the Fiji Islands, Alaska, New Zealand, Central America and French Polynesia, AP reported.

The wire service identified the other two Americans on board as Phyllis Macay and Bob Riggle, both of Seattle.

The U.S. military did not name the four Americans in its statement saying the hostages had been killed.

"We express our deepest condolences for the innocent lives callously lost aboard the Quest," Gen. James N. Mattis, U.S. Central Command commander, said in the statement.

As U.S. forces boarded the vessel in response to hearing gunshots, the military said, the pirates opened fire on them. In the ensuing gun battle, two pirates were killed and 13 were captured and detained, the military said. Two other pirates had been taken into U.S. custody earlier. U.S. officials said the remains of two other pirates also were found aboard the Quest.

In all, officials said, it appeared that 19 pirates were involved in the hijacking.

U.S. forces had monitored the yacht closely confirming it had been hijacked Friday off the coast of Oman. Four U.S. Navy warships - the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise , the guided-missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf and the guided-missile destroyers USS Sterett and USS Bulkeley - were involved in the effort.

No further information was immediately available.