A US Navy destroyer and several other warships have arrived on the scene of a pirate hijacking to help rescue a US-flagged ship carrying 20 American sailors that was seized off the coast of Somalia yesterday.

According to Maersk, the Dutch company that owns the hijackedMaersk Alabama, the destroyerUSS Bainbridgeand about six other warships arrived at the scene early today local time and found that pirates were on a lifeboat floating near the ship with the captain who was being held hostage.

TheMaersk Alabamawas en route to Mombasa, Kenya, to deliver food aid of the World Food Program to regfugees there. It was hijacked 500 kilometers off Somalia’s coast – thought to be the first pirate attack on an American vessel in more than 200 years. The crew of theMaersk Alabamamanaged to rebuff the attack, but their captain was taken hostage.

Read Dick Durham’s blog .