"The full cost of chartering an Airbus would be so high, you'd think they would have to work with the US Government for that," she said from her California home.
"We're not wealthy people," she said. "What price would you put on a child's life?"
While I am not among those who believe the Sunderlands should have to pay for this rescue (that simply isn't how it works), I have to say I am not impressed by Mrs Sunderland's attitude.
We can't pay so if the Australian government wants money, the US government should pay.
We're talking about $300,000 - it's not a trivial amount of money, but a family which could afford to see two children sail around the world, should not find that type of amount impossible to pay over a reasonable period of time if it was required.
They just don't want to take responsibility.
I think that if you are going to try a stunt like this, you should have a Plan B. Maybe even a Plan C.
Pansies.
You never get any where unless you try.
“What price would you put on a child’s life?”
She can’t seriously being trying to use the “it’s for the good of a child” BS after allowing her daughter to attempt this, is she?
They should be made to pay, the sorry moochers are into slave labor, where is a court accounting of the money they made forcing their son to do the same thing. These people are plan and simple in to child labor supporting themselves.
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..
"We're not wealthy people,"
Then why are you having eight kids, lady?
Why do your kids sport about on expensive boats?
Hypocritical cow.
If these so-called ‘parents’ were really concerned about their daughter’s safety and well-being, they would have told her ‘Hell, No!’ when she asked to sail around the world solo.
See how simple and inexpensive that would have been? Not to mention the RESPONSIBLE thing to do.
While I do not believe that the costs of a rescue at sea ought to be borne by distressed mariners, the financial status of the Sunderland family is bound to change. No doubt a book and movie deal is in the offing, and the question of underwriting the costs of her adventure will come up again.
Apparently the Aussies put more on it than her parents did.
Oh boy, naturalman, you’re opening a giant can of worms from Down Under ;-0
These people remind of me octomom and the balloon boy. Fame freaks.
“They just don’t want to take responsibility.
“
But I bet they are more than happy to take the sponsership money and the 15 mins of fame... the curse of ‘reality’ everything is that it brings all the glory hounds out of the woodwork from Balloon boy’s parents to these ‘poor’ folk who can aford sail boats. I have no clue about boats but I assume sail boats cost a pretty penny and all the associated expenses that go with them.
Cry me a river lady, can’t afford to pay then don’t expect all the rest of us to do it for you, or in this case the Aussie tax payers.
Of course it was too risky.It’s damn risky for a *very* experienced 40 year old yachtsman/sailor...let alone a 16 year old kid.If a 16 year old’s parents want their kid to do something exceptional encourage him/her to work hard enough to gain admission to Harvard/Yale/MIT and leave the suicide missions to crazy old guys.
Properly planned and supervised it can be a safe journey for a 16 year old. That wasn’t it.
Agreed, at least as to how Mrs. Sunderland came off in this article. "We're not wealthy people" is not a reason for other people, who are also not wealthy, to have to pay for your thrills.
Surely there is some way to require an insurance policy or bond for this sort of thing.
At the minimum, the Sunderlands should have stopped flapping their jaws and simply said "we are relieved and thankful Abby was rescued and we will be focusing on reuniting with her, not debating in the press."
For her to say, as she reportedly did, "what price can you put on a child's life?" -- HELL'S BELLS, lady!
Interesting that now money is the issue these words come out of the mothers mouth...
“What price would you put on a child’s life”
....hummm....where was that concern when she let her child sail solo in dangerous seas?
Speaking as an experienced offshore sailor this is exactly the same point I made very early on ... long before she was found by the Aussies. Crossing the Indian Ocean in May/June is the equivalent of crossing the North Atlantic in November/December. For a well crewed substantial sailboat certainly not advisable, for a solo sailor, particularly a 16 year old, incredibly stupid.
Almost immediately after the kid was saved, the parents put up a website begging for donations to retrieve the boat.
I haven’t heard of any similar effort to collect funds to reimburse any of the kid’s rescuers.
American Sailing Association would say the same about Columbus and Vespuci.
Wimps.
Good question, Mrs. Sunderland. How much did you collect from sponsors for her to do this? I guess that was your price.