Posted on 06/10/2010 11:11:42 AM PDT by Free ThinkerNY
Abby Sunderland, 16, who is attempting to become the youngest sailor ever to circumnavigate the globe, was feared lost at sea today after her crew lost contact with her boat.
Jeff Casher, an engineer on Sunderland's support team, said two emergency beacons on her boat are now signaling she is in trouble.
Abby's mother, MaryAnne Sunderland, told ABC News that Abby manually activated two beacons around 6 a.m. Pacific Time Thursday.
A beacon designed to automatically go off when it contacts water had not been activated, she said.
Abby was in 20-25 foot waves at the time of last contact, with 35-knot winds, said MaryAnne Sunderland, who is due to give birth at the end of the month. She was shaken but focused on trying to get a rescue effort together.
The closest land to Abby's boat was Reunion Island, which is east of Madagascar. The nearest ship was 400 miles away. Rescuers were trying to contact the ship.
Casher told ABC News that he last spoke with the 16-year-old sailor around 6 a.m. PDT after she had been knocked down twice during the night because of strong winds -- meaning that her sail had touched the water.
One of those knock-downs, Casher said, ripped the radar off the boat. She had been speaking with Casher on a satellite telephone earlier because of engine problems and was in the process of fixing those problems when she told Casher she'd call right back.
She has not been heard from since, except for the distress signals.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
Really...you have nothing better than that? Comparing a 16 year old sailing on her own to a 10 year old drinking alcohol? Go worry about your own kids.
As a conservative who believes in being self sufficient, I don’t think being 16 is the problem, I think ego may be playing a role in this. I was solo sailing the California Coast at 16 on a 44’-CSY for up to a week at a time.
Sailing can be very dangerous for anyone, even the best can lose their life at sea. She is probably an outstanding sailor although I have to wonder if pride and ego played a role in in the decision to “is she ready.” The pressure to “win” may have played a big role this, unfortunately.
My own family does some climbing, hiking, spelunking, diving and hunting. Nothing extreme but all these activities have provided moments where I’ve placed my life in the hand of my children (more so with the older ones;) ).
It’s my personal belief that that freedom and life itself is inherently dangerous. I’m not one for the nanny state telling me what can do, where I can go. (like to my own property that they close off in winter because of snow)
Sometimes I’m convinced my 14y/o has better judgment than I do. In short, I don’t think picking some arbitrary age limit is the way to live life.
Prayers for Abby. Make it home baby.
If you knew me you would understand what a ridiculous assertion that is. If I had chosen, as these parents did, to recklessly risk my daughter's life in pathetic attempt to make up for my own psycho-emotional inadequacy, I could have easily done so.
Are you stating that people don't have the right to disagree?
Your being unrealistic. (Sorry couldn’t resist). You actually need a high-endurance patrol craft of modest speed with a lot of trained eyes to be able to see anything on the surface. This is particularly true in heavy seas, fog, rain. Keep in mind that the boat may be down in the water or capsized.
Update:
California teen girl in trouble on solo world sail
By JOHN ANTCZAK (AP) – 51 minutes ago
LOS ANGELES — A 16-year-old Southern California girl attempting a solo sail around the world was feared in trouble Thursday in the frigid, heaving southern Indian Ocean after her emergency beacons began signaling and communication was lost.
Abby Sunderland’s family was talking with U.S. and international governments about organizing a search of the remote ocean between southern Africa and Australia, family spokesman Christian Pinkston said.
Conditions can quickly become perilous for any sailor exposed to the elements in that part of the world.
“We’ve got to get a plane out there quick,” said Pinkston, who was in close contact with Sunderland’s family in Thousand Oaks.
“They are exhausting every resource to try to mobilize an air rescue including discussions with the U.S. State Department, the U.S. Coast Guard and various international rescue organizations,” he said.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iNcCJg-kSyZBjLhEB3fRtcYzaQOgD9G8JCQO0
“If you knew me you would understand what a ridiculous assertion that is.”
I think its great they had the ability to provide this for their daughter.
I pray she’s ok. She could have been a 40 yr old and had the same thing happen. From what I’ve read she is the one that pursued this and not her parents.
There was just a young kid that summitted Everest. I remember hearing about it just before the attempt, just like Abby Sutherland.
Unfortunately we live in a world with very few opportunities to distinguish one’s self in terms of exploration. We’re reduced to being the “Youngest” or “Oldest” to do something that’s already been done dozens, scores or even hundreds of times by others.
I wish my own son were that adult, but his mother took care of that...
Do you think this should have been against the law? It isn’t, as far as I know. There needs to be laws about sailing now?
Oh, so this is really about your resentment of your wife, not the welfare of your child.
Some parents are in it for the spolight. That being said, I saw an interview of the father/son/daughter who summited Everest (13 yo) on Foxnews, and he apparently was a dedicated climber and the father seemed down to earth.
Not everyone is loking to grab the spotlight as many here assume.
Any boat, capable of being single handed will most likely fail in sixty foot seas. That is why this was criminally irresponsible for these parents to do this. It's not like teaching a young kid to dive, as you did, or teaching a young kid to surf, sail and open water swim like I did.
This was dangerously irresponsible of these parents.
prayers for this gal.. hope she had on a life vest
Prayers up for this girl and her family.
Jacklyln “Jack” Lucas was just six days past his 17th birthday in February 1945 when his heroism at Iwo Jima earned him the nation's highest military honor. He used his body to shield three fellow squad members from two grenades, and was nearly killed when one exploded.
Semper Fi.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.