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 ...
Disagree with what? The freedom of the family to take this risk?
Depending on her birthday, this young lady was at least 89% of the age required to fight and die for her country. Hell, young men in past wars have been younger than her and lied about their age to go to war and I'm sure some of them died before even reaching her age. Were the parents of those boys imbeciles?
She was already old enough to drive a car and in many states, she was legally old enough to leave home on her own. Plus, from what I've read and seen in video clips, she really wanted to do this. I just don't get the uproar from some FReepers. Of course I'm not referring to those who simply wouldn't allow it with their child. I'm only miffed at how many are casting shame on the parents.
Then I stand corrected. I have no problem with the "what I would do" view. Sincere apologies....
THanks.
I for one would not think these parents need prosecution even though I have mixed feeling about this.
They will torture themselves more than the state could. I do think parents in the case of a 16 year old can make decisions to allow this.
I did go to the facebook page and was surprised at the sale of t shirts, etc. It was a sad sad thing to read her blog.
I hope they find her.
Bingo! That was a NEED. Those boys were NEEDED. This girl just WANTED to endanger her life. This is not a noble quest. This is a kid that simply wanted to be able to say that she sailed the world at 16. Ego. Not necessity.
She was already old enough to drive a car and in many states
That's a tad different than the nearest ship being 400 miles away.
Plus, from what I've read and seen in video clips, she really wanted to do this.
So what? Are you saying that parents should indulge their kids fantasies? This kid is in distress in the middle of nowhere. Alone. Where's the romance and dream in that?
RE: “... she died so her parents could live the experience vicariously as being the parents of the youngest child ever to be sent out onto the ocean alone in a sailboat.......
Fame and fortune for the parents, despite the outcome of the now apparent tragic voyage........”
************
Oh, so you KNOW these parents? You know what was in their minds as their daughter set out on this journey?
You know the girl, her experience, her level of maturity, her entire mindset about the trip?
You know that the the parents forced their daughter into this task, coerced her, goaded her? Really?
You think if she was not dedicated to completing the trip she would just have continued on, because mommy and daddy somehow forced her into it? Give me a break.
Where in Norway was your grandmother from? Neat story.
My grandfather was the youngest child but first to be born in the US. Minniesota, of course. All the rest were born on the western coast of Norway, near Alesund. Moved to Seattle where even MORE Norwegians were. “And it looked like Norway.”
Were they really all motived by beneficience towards others? Highly unlikely.
Yes, our son was piloting a Cessna at 16, too.
Were they just kids with a WANT? Should we indulge our kids in dangerous pursuits just because it's what they WANT? None of the people that you named were children out on a deadly fantasy trip.
The story of your great grandmother is one of life necessities and duty and stepping up to responsibility.
The sailor girl is one of ego and fame.
There is no comparison.
I think the family realizes this...which is why the family spokesman was pleading for air rescuing ASAP...
And every day, the parents of 50 million or so American children send them to public school to be raped by teachers and gang members, drugged by the admins, robbed in the restrooms, and morally and academically corrupted by the whole environment.
Yes, I do know these parents, the only reason they allowed their child to attempt this foolish quest was to get her name in the record book!
So tell me CaliforniaCon, how much seafaring knowledge can a 16 year old girl possibly have accumulated in her brief lifetime on this earth that would allow her to survive all the hostile weather conditions that this planet has to offer while on a 6 - 12 month sailing trip, alone in a sailboat?
Obviously not enough to have survived whatever just happened to her.........which just proved my point.
This is the dumbest decision a set of parents have ever made and now they are going to have to live with the knowledge that they and only they were responsible for sending their own daughter to her death.........
So what's up for next years record attempt, a 15 year old? And the year after that, a 14 year old?????????
And I assume you would approve of that stupidity also............
So just how much knowledge could a 16 year old girl accumulate in her brief life that would totally prepare her for a 6 - 12 month voyage alone on the ocean in a sailboat? From the result, obviously not enough...........and now the parents will suffer their stupidity for the rest of their lives.
Would there be any stunt that’s extreme for too young of an age for you? Anything goes at any age?
IMO, minors don’t deserve parents that allow them to persue death at such an age. This isn’t like driving. This is something wisened adults rarely do. Having no rescue boat within sights just about guaranteed this girl’s death.
Maybe we should try sending 16 year olds into lion nests with a whip and some food and leave em for a few days and come back. If they didn’t make it, it was a heck of an effort right?
Great post.
Uh, excuse me, you just admitted that this voyage was a record attempt...........Did I copy and post someone else's statement?
That's why she got in the goddamn boat stupid!
But you know what? It doesn't really matter anymore what stupid reason was behind it. A 16 year old girl is probably now dead and its all because her parents allowed her to set sail for a 6 to 12 month journey alone in a sailboat, facing whatever weather conditions this planet can conjur up........
Both you and her parents can justify their reasoning all you want but it was their decision that got their child killed and they are going to have to live with it for the rest of their lives.........That's about as simple as it gets.
You know something no one else does? She manually activated her beacons. So she was definitely alive after comms were lost. She has more seafaring knowledge than most here, having grown up in a sailing family, and having sailed since she was 3 years old.
Now, I don't know if you are being facetious when you say you know these parents, but I suspect you are. She wasn't eligible for any record because she made port in South Africa. That's where I think the parents should have made the call to stop the attempt, but I'm not them, and neither are you.
Thank you!! I was thinking just that, just couldn’t form the words fast enough!
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