[SJDXA] Somali Pirates kill 3 hams

[Bob Schenck N2OO]

Somali Pirates Kill US Hams

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, 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 from US Central Command said. "Despite immediate steps
to provide

life-saving care, all four hostages ultimately died of their wounds."

 

Regards,

Bob Schenck, N2OO

 

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