Wheaton man on ship attacked by Somali pirates

An attack on an American ship by Somali pirates brought a vow for revenge too close to home for one Wheaton family Tuesday.

Thomas Urbik, 26, of Wheaton was aboard the Liberty Sun when it was attacked while carrying humanitarian aid near pirate-patrolled waters Tuesday.

"We got the first e-mail from him telling us to relax and that they'd be going into pirate territory, which we knew was the hot area," father Mike Urbik said. "For two days we didn't hear from him, which was really building anxiety. Then we got word about the attack on the Maersk and that (pirates) said they would take revenge."

The Urbik family had been checking their e-mail every 15 minutes after learning about the attack on the Maersk Alabama.

Then the news came via e-mail from his son Tuesday that the Liberty Sun was under attack. "My wife called me at the office, she was upset. ... I jumped in the car and got home," Mike said.

The e-mail from Thomas was titled, "I love you all." It read: "We are under attack by pirates, we are being hit by rockets. Also bullets. We are barricaded in the engine room and so far no one is hurt. a rocket penetrated the bulkhead but the hole is small. Small fire too but put out. Navy is on the way and helos and ships are coming. I'll try to send you another message soon. got to go now. I love you mom and dad and all my brothers and family."

Then, a few minutes later, another message came with a happier subject line: "I am safe and well" bringing news that Thomas was OK and they had a Naval escort taking them in.

The pirates had fired rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons at the Liberty Sun as it carried food for famine-wracked African nations, said the vessel's owner, Liberty Maritime Corp. The ship was en route from Houston to Mombasa, Kenya, with a roughly 20-member crew, officials said.

After the ship reported being attacked around 10:30 a.m. Central time, the USS Bainbridge - the destroyer that assisted in the rescue of the hijacked Maersk Alabama last week - sailed to its aid, said Navy Capt. Jack Hanzlik, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command in Tampa, Fla.

The Bainbridge arrived at 4:30 p.m. to find that the pirates had left, and there were no injuries, Hanzlik said.

The ship was continuing on its way to Mombasa late Tuesday, he said.

The vessel had discharged thousands of tons of American food aid earlier this week in Port Sudan, in nearby Sudan, earlier this week, Lake Success, N.Y.-based Liberty Maritime said in a statement.

Liberty Maritime also praised the government's response, as well as that of it crew.

"We commend the entire crew for its professionalism and poise under fire," the company said.

President Barack Obama vowed Monday to "halt the rise of piracy," but defiant Somali pirates seized a total of four more ships with 60 hostages Tuesday.

The pirates have vowed vengeance for five colleagues slain by U.S. and French forces in two hostage rescues since Friday.

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <div class="moreSubHead"> Video</div> <ul class="video"> <li><a href="http://video.ap.org/?t=By%20Section/World&g=0415dvs_somalia_piracy&f=yourilarl"> American Ship Damaged in Latest Pirate Attack </a></li> </ul> <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=286645">Email from Wheaton man attacked by pirates </a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>