Richard Phillips, Indian Ocean hero

The heroic professionalism of Captain Richard Phillips, the US cargo ship captain who gave himself up to Somali pirates in order to safeguard his crew, has prompted comparisons to Chesley Sullenberger, the airline pilot who landed a passenger plane on the Hudson river in January, saving all 155 passengers on board.

Now that Capt Phillips has been rescued, he can expect a hero's welcome when he returns this week to his farmhouse in Underhill, Vermont, where yellow ribbons and flowers have been tied to the trees.

Phillips, 53, and a father of two, was finally rescued on Sunday when US Navy snipers shot dead three pirates holding him in a lifeboat off the coast of Somalia.

He had shown exceptional bravery when his ship, the Maersk Alabama, was first overrun by pirates on Wednesday. He immediately told his 20-man crew to hide, while he confronted the pirates and allowed himself to be taken hostage.

His sister-in-law Gina Coggio said his self-sacrifice was characteristic of the man. "That is what he would do," she told ABC television. "It's just who he is and his response as a captain."

Joseph Murphy, an instructor at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, from where Phillips, a former cab driver, graduated in 1979, said his son, Shane Murphy, a member of the Maersk Alabama crew, told him that Phillips had frequently drilled the men on what to do in case of a pirate attack.

"He says that he's one of the most diligent masters he's ever seen," Joseph Murphy said. "Very, very particular about how things are done and wants them done perfectly, and he drills until he gets it."

On Friday Phillips tried to escape from the pirates by diving into the sea from the lifeboat, but he was hauled back on board. When on Sunday the pirates were seen pointing their AK-47s at Phillips, the US Navy commander on the scene ordered his snipers to fire. Three pirates died and a fourth was taken prisoner.

After a medical examination and re-briefing aboard the USS Boxer, Phillips will be expected home in Underhill where his wife Andrea told the local TV station before his rescue: "I have faith in my husband. He'll do well to keep everybody safe and himself safe."

Phillips's brother-in-law, Tom Coggio, said the captain had a reputation for telling stories about his adventures at sea. "The way the guy tells a story is amazing," he said. "We're just all waiting for him to get home and tell this one."
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