sigh..I would have to agree with you. Did the Sunderlands even factor in the “emergency” option, just in case? I also can see the class of the Aussies for not billing the Sunderlands for the rescue, but the French fishing boat has yet to make a clear statement if they are going to bill for the rescue..especially when the captain of that boat was thrown overboard while trying to rescue Abby reportedly..
I want to see the law of the sea on rescues continued. However, that is not to say that people who put themselves out there under these circumstances, for fame and maybe even for fortune, should not out of grace and dignity post a bond or have some insurance policy to pay for a rescue. At the minimum, the family should be falling all over themselves with gratitude and thanksgiving — not jawboning about how, “who, me? pay for my kid’s adventuring?”