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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2009
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Captain: 'I Didn't Think I'd Ever Get Out of That Boat'

Capt. Richard Phillips credits Navy

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(Newser) – Capt. Richard Phillips thought he'd never escape the Somali pirates holding him hostage, MSNBC reports. “I didn't think I'd ever get out of that boat," Phillips tells Matt Lauer in a Today Show interview airing Tuesday. He had resigned himself for the worst. “It was just settling everything, getting ready to die," he says. "You know, saying my last thoughts: Andrea, the kids."

Phillips was rescued April 12 when Navy sharpshooters killed three of the pirates. “What they did was impossible," Phillips says. And it sounds like their help came just in time. The 53-year-old had already tried to escape, and the mood was tense on the lifeboat where he was being held. “There was always a gun on me,” he says.

A sign outside a store in Underhill, Vt., welcomes home Capt. Richard Phillips on April 17, 2009.
A sign outside a store in Underhill, Vt., welcomes home Capt. Richard Phillips on April 17, 2009.   (AP Photo/Andy Duback)
FBI agents escort Somali pirate Abdiwali Abdiqadir Muse into FBI headquarters in New York on April 20, 2009.
FBI agents escort Somali pirate Abdiwali Abdiqadir Muse into FBI headquarters in New York on April 20, 2009.   (AP Photo/Louis Lanzano)
Capt. Richard Phillips and his wife, Andrea, are seen during a news conference after he arrived in South Burlington, Vt., on April 17, 2009.
Capt. Richard Phillips and his wife, Andrea, are seen during a news conference after he arrived in South Burlington, Vt., on April 17, 2009.   (AP Photo/Toby Talbot)
Capt. Richard Phillips, center, hugs his children after arriving in South Burlington, Vt., on April 17, 2009. With him are son Daniel and daughter Mariah.
Capt. Richard Phillips, center, hugs his children after arriving in South Burlington, Vt., on April 17, 2009. With him are son Daniel and daughter Mariah.   (AP Photo/Toby Talbot)
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TerrifiedCitizen
Apr 25, 09 1:28 PM CDT
In my humble opinion, this guy is the most genuine of the desperately searched for hero's to splatter the media in quite a while. People who feel obligated to do their job because of fear of rejection or peer pressure have never impressed me... but this guy had plenty of personal choices; and he continually chose the higher road. Reply
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Reader68389796
Apr 26, 09 11:08 AM CDT
As an American we should give thanks to all involved in our rescue when we are free. I see that Captain Phillips continually praise the Navy seals but not one time have I heard him thank President Obama for giving the seals the authorization to rescue him. I wish he would it would sure look like our country can stand together in time of need. Reply
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