A North Texas family is breathing a sigh of relief now that their loved one will be returning to North Texas.
Colin Wright was a crew-member aboard the "Maersk Alabama" when it was hijacked by Somali pirates last week. Crew-members said their captain, Richard Phillips, offered himself as a hostage so they could remain free.
Phillips was held in a lifeboat with four Somali pirates for several days before being rescued Sunday by the U.S. Navy. After several days of negotiation, snipers shot and killed 3 of the 4 pirates, rescuing Phillips.
When crew-members heard the news of Phillips release, they erupted in cheers.
Bill Evans, Wright's uncle, was inundated with calls as word spread of the captain's rescue -- including calls from his nephew.
"He's called me several times today. They are on a ship. They won't let them leave, won't let them talk to reporters," said Evans. "They are going to fly him to New York in a day or two."
Despite the dramatic ordeal, Evans said he's sure his nephew will return to the sea.
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"He's worked around icebergs and all kinds of dangerous things, so this is not much worse," said Evans.
Evans said Wright and the rest of the crew-members could be home as early as Tuesday.
