Captain, Navy crew in April piracy rescue reunite

NORFOLK — The American sea captain who was held by pirates off of Africa and the crew of a Navy ship involved his rescue are reuniting in Virginia.

The USS Bainbridge was to sail down the Elizabeth River on Thursday to downtown Norfolk, where Capt. Richard Phillips will publicly thank the command and crew of the guided-missile destroyer for its actions in April.

In April, the Bainbridge responded when the merchant vessel Maersk Alabama was seized by Somali pirates. Phillips was held hostage for several days in a lifeboat before Navy SEAL snipers aboard the Bainbridge shot and killed three pirates and rescued Phillips.

Wednesday, Somali pirates attacked the Maersk Alabama for the second time in seven months. They were thwarted by private guards on board the U.S.-flagged ship.