CNN is reporting on air right now that the abducted captain of the Maersk ship has been freed. State Dept. correspondent Zain Verjee cites a “senior U.S. official” confirming that captain Richard Phillips is uninjured and is safely aboard the USS Bainbridge.
UPDATE: CNN has confirmed that the captain’s family was informed several hours ago that Phillips is free.
The American captain of a cargo ship held hostage by pirates jumped overboard from the lifeboat where he was being held, and U.S. Navy SEALs shot and killed three of his four captors, according to a senior U.S. official with knowledge of the situation.
Capt. Richard Phillips was helped out of the water off the Somali coast and is uninjured and in good condition, the official said. He was taken aboard the USS Bainbridge, a nearby naval warship.