[EIDXA] Three Yachtsmen Killed by Somali Pirates were Hams

[Jim Spencer]

 From ARRL Website:


    Three Yachtsmen Killed by Somali Pirates were Hams

*TAGS:* amateur radio operators 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/search/Tag.name:amateur%20radio%20operators>, 
us navy <http://www.arrl.org/news/search/Tag.name:us%20navy>
02/22/2011

Four Americans -- including three Amateur Radio operators -- who were 
being held hostage on their yacht by pirates off the coast of Oman have 
been killed. Scott Adam, K9ESO, and his wife Jean, KF6RVB, along with 
Bob Riggle, KE7IIV, and Phylis Macay were on board the S/V /Quest/ when 
pirates boarded their vessel on Friday, February 18. The Adams were 
based in the Los Angeles area; Riggle and Macay were from Seattle.

According to the US Central Command <http://www.centcom.mil/>, the boat 
was in the Indian Ocean, headed toward the Somali coast when on Friday, 
the 58 foot yacht sent a distress signal. The boat was being trailed by 
US Navy forces; it was about a two day sail from the Somali coast. They 
had begun tracking the yacht after being alerted that a Danish naval 
helicopter had seen the /Quest/ off Oman under the pirates? control. The 
Central Command oversees US anti-piracy operations in the Indian Ocean.

Officials were in the process of negotiating for the Americans? release 
when gunfire was heard around 1 AM (EST) on Tuesday, February 22. ?As 
(US forces) responded to the gunfire, reaching and boarding the /Quest/, 
the forces discovered all four hostages had been shot by their captors,? 
a statement 
<http://www.centcom.mil/press-releases/u-s-forces-respond-to-gunfire-aboard-the-s-v-quest> 
from US Central Command said. ?Despite immediate steps to provide 
life-saving care, all four hostages ultimately died of their wounds.?

There were signs of divisions among the 19 pirates during the hostage 
standoff, Central Command said. On Monday, two of them came aboard one 
of the Navy vessels, the USS /Sterret/, for face-to-face negotiations 
and did not return to the yacht. The incident turned fatal on Tuesday 
morning when the pirates fired a rocket-propelled grenade at the 
/Sterret/, which missed, and US naval personnel heard gunshots coming 
from the yacht. At that point, a team of 15 special-operations forces 
boarded the yacht. On Saturday, President Barack Obama authorized the 
military to use force in case of an imminent threat to the hostages, 
said White House spokesman Jay Carney.

After the grenade was fired at the /Sterret/, several pirates came on 
deck with their hands raised, as if trying to surrender, said Admiral 
Mark Fox. The gunfire erupted on board almost immediately. But US 
officers said it was not known whether the hostages had made an escape 
attempt or whether disagreements among the pirates prompted the shots. 
Fox -- the Commander of US Navy?s Fifth Fleet, responsible for naval 
forces in the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea and the coast 
off East Africa as far south as Kenya -- said that the incident was the 
deadliest one he could recall involving US citizens held by pirates. It 
is believed 19 pirates were involved in the hijacking.

The Navy had been closely monitoring the S/V /Quest/ for about three 
days, once it became known to be pirated. Four US Navy warships 
comprised the response force dedicated to recovering the /Quest/: the 
aircraft carrier USS /Enterprise/, the guided-missile cruiser USS /Leyte 
Gulf/ and the guided-missile destroyers USS /Sterret/ and USS 
/Bulkeley/. The bodies of the four Americans are now on board the 
/Enterprise/.

The Adams planned to travel across the Indian Ocean from their temporary 
dock in Phuket, Thailand, and then head up the Red Sea and through the 
Mediterranean to the Greek islands. They had considered shipping the 
boat to avoid the dangers of the trip, but decided instead to join a 
rally of yachts heading to the same location. For reasons unknown, the 
foursome apparently decided to break off from the Blue Water Rally 
<http://www.yachtrallies.co.uk/index.php/blue-water-rally.html>, which 
organized and supported the group of boats headed toward the 
Mediterranean. Blue Water Rally organizers released a statement 
<http://www.yachtrallies.co.uk/index.php/blue-water-rally/295-s-v-quest.html> 
on their website, saying that said the Adams chose to take an 
independent route from Mumbai to Salalah, Oman, and left the rally on 
February 15. In a statement on February 22 after hearing of the deaths 
from ?the pirate menace which is plaguing the Indian Ocean,? Blue Water 
Rally called the Adams, Riggle and Macay ?brave adventurers.?

A former TV unit production manager, Scott Adam, 70, was an experienced 
sailor who had owned a boat most of his life. And although 66 year old 
Jean Adam, a retired dentist, became seasick easily, she took medication 
for it because she loved being on the water. According to their website, 
the Adams -- who each have children from previous marriages -- planned 
to hand out Bibles during their trip.  -- /Thanks to The Associated 
Press and US Central Command for some information/


      Photo Gallery
      <http://www.arrl.org/news/three-yachtsmen-killed-by-somali-pirates-were-hams#>

    * Scott Adam, K9ESO, and his wife Jean, KF6RVB, were killed by
      Somali pirates on their 58 foot yacht early in the morning on
      Tuesday, February 22. [Photo from the Adams website].
      <http://www.arrl.org/images/view/News/ScottJeanAdam.jpg> Scott
      Adam, K9ESO...
    * Bob Riggle, KE7IIV, and Phylis Macay -- both of Seattle,
      Washington -- were also killed on board the Quest. [AP/Joe Grande]
      <http://www.arrl.org/images/view/News/RiggleMacay1.jpg>