DID THE US NAVY BLOW A RESCUE OPPORTUNITY, While Watching Overhead With An Ummanned Drone?++ UPDATE: Captain Freed by Navy Seals! Bravisimo!

Photos: Google Images

I can't help but wonder if the US Navy lost or-maybe-even squandered an opportunity to rescue Maersk Alabama Captain Richard Phillips that made a heroic attempt to escape from his captors during the first time-as initially reported. The Captain jumped into the water with one of his captives diving in after him, and eventually overpowering the Captain and wrestling him back on to the lifeboat. The Navy was observing the Captain and his captives during that precious and crucial time period of some several minutes both from above with an unmanned drone, and-I venture to speculate-by personnel from on deck of the destroyer as well.

Being that the US Navy's USS Bainbridge was sitting several yards from the lifeboat, it would seem that the destroyer's captain would have taken advantage of those several minutes when Captain Phillips was no longer on board the lifeboat. The USS Bainbridge is the high-tech destroyer that arrived on the scene Thursday with a precision team of Navy Seals on board that are trained in hostage rescue techniques. Seemingly, the Navy could have launched a missile or a cannon to either destroy the lifeboat or at least fill it with holes; thus assuring of a slowly and steady sinking with the other pirates on board the lifeboat. I acknowledge the fact that the amount of distance between the lifeboat and the Captain has not been provided in the news reports that I have seen. However, this lack of action on the part of the destroyer's captain still begs the prudent and probing question: Did the US Navy have enough time to destroy or disarm the lifeboat? And did the Navy make a fatal mistake of not taking the lifeboat out during those several minutes that Captain Phillips was afloat in the water?
You decide!
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BREAKING NEWS-UPDATE: While this commentary was being finalized for publication, breaking news is that the captain was rescued by the Navy Seals, shooting tree of the pirates after the captain jumped overboard "again." Superb work on part of the Seals. Their successful rescue effort and the manner in which it was accomplished, supports the above commentary observations, which asks the critical-probing question: Why wasn't this done the first time the captain jumped overboard? Was someone sleeping, when they should have been awake and alert? Again, I comment, you decide!