Accurate Snipers

The Herald describes some amazing sniper skills in the rescue of American hostages from Somali pirates:

The SEALs who ended the five-day pirate drama parachuted from their aircraft to the sea off Somalia and were picked up by the destroyer USS Bainbridge, which had been negotiating with the pirates and was towing the pirated lifeboat at the time. …

Military officials Monday widely praised the snipers for three shots, which they described as remarkable, coming at night, come 25 yards away and from the stern of a ship on a rolling waters to a small lifeboat.

The order to fire came after one of the pirates was seen holding an AK-47 so close to Phillips that the weapon appeared to be touching him. Two other pirates popped their heads up, giving snipers all three of their targets, one official said.

To shoot accurately in the dark, from the back of a ship in rolling seas, into a lifeboat on the same sea is no easy task. The chance of missing or killing the hostage would be considerable for most people.