World | Somalia Pirates in Navy Standoff Running Out of Options Pirate lifeboat 'dead in the water' as warships close in By Rob Quinn Posted Apr 9, 2009 6:30 AM CDT Copied Andrea Phillips holds a photo of her husband, Capt. Richard Phillips on Wednesday, April 8, 2009, at her home in Underhill, Vt. Phillips is being held hostage by Somali pirates. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot) Four Somali pirates still holding a American captain hostage this morning are rapidly running out of options in their standoff with a US Navy warship, the AP reports. The pirates are in a lifeboat seized to replace their own vessel, floating hundreds of miles away from Somalia with enough food for a week—but no fuel. Six other warships are approaching the area. Capt. Richard Phillips—who is believed to have offered himself as a hostage to ensure the safety of the other crew members from the Maersk Alabama—is the pirates' only bargaining chip. The ship's second mate told CNN that the pirates had agreed to return the captain in exchange for one of their own men who had been captured, but reneged on the agreement after the pirate was released. Read These Next A Delta flight got wild with an allegedly unruly passenger. Mark Sanchez hospitalized after stabbing. Virginia's Dem nominee for AG is in hot water over 2022 texts. A Trump coin looks to be in the works, with legal questions swirling. Report an error