Abby in the Indian Ocean.
Posted on 06/10/2010 5:58:23 PM PDT by jimbo123
A 16-year-old Southern California girl attempting a solo sail around the world was feared in trouble Thursday thousands of miles from land in the frigid, heaving southern Indian Ocean after her emergency beacons began signaling and communication was lost.
An international effort to rescue young Abby Sunderland began, but the vast distances meant long hours of waiting for her family and support team, which expressed confidence that she was alive because the beacons were deliberately turned on rather than set off automatically.
(Excerpt) Read more at sports.espn.go.com ...
Her brother said the boat was most likely not completely submerged because another beacon would be triggered at a depth of 15 feet.
Promising development. Hope they find her quick.
The boat may have flipped over and she could still be inside; the boat’s mast may have been damaged; or she was injured and could not pilot the boat. He said that if the boat flipped, the hull would prevent her from calling from her satellite phone.
I hope she is OK.
That said I have to question the rescue resources that go into saving these vanity extreme events. She doesn’t belong out there and she put herself in peril. Again I wish her all the best and that there is a positive outcome.
I agree with you completely. Hope she will be safe, but question why a 16 year old is allowed to attempt something like this in the first place.
Her parents are idiots, plain and simple.
More details from Australian media:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/06/11/2924243.htm?section=justin
Prayers up for Abby...
When I first heard about her, I thought what she was doing was neat, but I thought I’d read that her parents were right there with her the whole time, just in another boat. I had no idea she was out there by herself. I wouldn’t have let my teen do that alone
I hope she’s okay
The boat is supposed to be self righting.
Deliver her from the forces of nature that are threatening her.
Please deliver her from the obviously insane parents who would allow and support such a risky undertaking by such a young woman alone.
Amen.
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They're nuts like that lunatic woman a few years back who had her 8-yo kid flying an airplane and never coming home.
Let's not talk about what ought to happen to them in the worst case; let's see this girl home.
First of all, her parents should have been prosecuted when they let her go. Second, she needs to get a bill for the cost of her rescue, either her or her estate, as the case may be. Let see, Quantos airlines is flying an airbus a couple of thousand miles to look for her. I wonder whose navy will be in charge of the rescue?
Finally, if it was up to me, I’d tell her parents to send us a post card when they find her. Just when I thought the timely death of that balloon nut Fosse had slowed these thrill seeking publicity hounds down a bit, we have a bunch of lost skiers and this moron.
A 16 year old girl should be in school studying. Her irresponsible parents should be thrown in jail should something happen to her.
The boat is weighted to be self-righting. Although the test I saw on her website was done without the mast.
While I hate to begin blaming parents so quickly, I must say I do agree with you. Anyone remember little Jessica Dubroff? She was the 7 year-old pilot trainee who was trying to become the youngest person to fly across the U.S. She crashed while taking off from Cheyenne, Wyoming, back in 1996. I was living there at the time and remember it vividly. The entire city was in mourning---until a few days later when her mother showed up. Good grief, this lady was a true earth muffin! You know the type: long, straight grayish hair, sundress and sandals. Once she opened her mouth I knew this little girl had been doomed. She began talking new age jibberish about where her daughter was now, etc.
Pray for this young girl now lost at sea and also pray for common sense for her parents.
“Aviation, like sailing, is not inherently dangerous. But the penalty for not knowing what you are doing in either usually results in injury or death.”
I hope she make it out safe and sound.
And then goes back next year for another try.
Why do people always try to pull each other down? I think it’s great that she’s got the spirit and the drive to try something like this.
I had no idea she was the sister of Zac Sunderland who also made the round the world sailing trip. I hadn’t heard the name on the news. He didn’t always have smooth sailing so I would think she would have decided not to take that on. I followed his trip on his website but I’ve lost track of the number of trips his dad made to areas around the world to help him with the boat when he got to ports.
Sure hope this has a happy ending....
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