It depends how far away he was, but it may have been too dangerous at that instance in time. I’m concerned that providing them with food/water and playing this waiting game is giving them more time for their comrades to arrive. Supposedly they have more ships on the way with hostages on them as well. Human shields? This will only get messier once they arrive. Don’t know if they have any Navy Seals on board. I’m pretty sure they sent a team of Navy Seals with the previously captured cargo ship for additional security.
I'm also concerned about this escalation news.