Posted on 06/11/2010 6:01:21 PM PDT by NoLibZone
What were her parents thinking? Many people were asking that question as a 16-year-old girl sat adrift and alone in the frigid southern Indian Ocean, her ship's mast dashed along with her around-the-world sailing effort.
Abby Sunderland's ship was rolling in 20- to 30-foot waves as she waited to be rescued by a boat that was expected to arrive early Saturday morning Pacific time.
She set off a distress signal Thursday after rough seas disabled her ship and her satellite phone reception. There were 20 hours of tense silence before a search plane launched from Australia's west coast made brief radio contact with Sunderland and found her alive and well Friday morning.
"The aircraft (crew) spoke to her. They told her help was on the way and she sounds like she's in good health," said Mick Kinley, acting chief of the Australia Maritime Safety Authority, which chartered a commercial jet for the search.
"She's going to hang in there until a vessel can get to her," Kinley told reporters in Canberra.
Many people criticized Sunderland's parents for allowing the high-risk adventure, one of several by young people looking to make the record books. Some veteran sailors said it's all but irresponsible to send a teenager off alone in a small boat, knowing it will be tossed about like a toy for 30 or more hours at a time by the giant waves that rake the Southern Hemisphere's oceans this time of year.
(Excerpt) Read more at google.com ...
“Or how about lifeguards on the beach? They do rescues all the time on the public dime.”
Wrong. Lifeguards are paid by state or local funds via taxes from the citizens. Same as cops. They don’t get paid extra for every kid or adult they rescue from drowning. It’s all in a day’s pay.
I’m with you, Wicket. Go, Abby!
This young girl is a good seaman. She has sailed for about 12,000 miles single handed which is quite an accomplishment in itself. She has excellent equipment. We don’t know the details of why she was dismasted, so we can’t speak to it. A ship will pick her up, the Lord willing.
For all the whining landlubbers out there, one always renders aid to a person or ship in difficulty on the ocean. It is an unwritten law of the sea.
With respect to the rescue costs. Many search and rescue costs are overhead costs which are already paid for whether they are used or not. Using them just adds an incremental cost. For all of you that didn’t understand that- the SAR stations are set up and paid for, the salaries of the personnel are covered, the planes are sitting on the runways read to go. The crews have been trained. All that is required is the gas to make the plane go. As a plus maybe this can be chalked up to training for flight observers and crew. As for the ships coming to rescue her it is a break in their routine. They won’t have to depart too far from their great circle routes (maybe they have been vectored around to storms to prevent their cargoes from being damaged). They will enjoy picking her up and her boat. She will add spice to the evening meal for the officers and crew. It will be a real experience for her and the crew. I wish I could help.
I think the children are spoiled brats. They needed some poor parents.
You are right in stating that perhaps governments role is to not provide coverage for either. IF they gave your tax dollars back to you would you be willing to "rescue" either with some of your dollars?
Good to hear that the Aussies are humanitarians.....
I don’t think she should have tried this especially at this time of year but I LOVE the name of her boat.
Whining, sniveling nannystater. I am sorry for your shriveled soul.
How about we put a lein on your home instead?
“”She’s just carrying on the great European-American lust for exploration and adventure....I applaud her for her determination and fortitude. What an incredible 16 year old...she could have been doing crack in South LA instead....you go girl!””
I followed her brother’s trip last year but had no idea she had started out on one of her own. I am amazed at her skill and courage. Her mother had said on one of the blogs that she had more solo sailing experience than Zac had when he started out.
AND now we have Geraldo weighing in tonight on O’Reilly, (I believe it was). He said he’d done the transworld “thing” in a boat 2 x the size of hers and he had a crew of 4 and sometimes 6 on his trip. Additionally he said, “The father is a kook. He homeschooled 7 children.” Boy! that sure is kooky, isn’t it? Also that she made the trip to get away from her father. No facts - just his twisted mind and opinions. I guess Geraldo doesn’t want to be shown up by a 16 year old girl who didn’t need a crew of 4 or 6 to help out.
I would be an absolute basket case if I had a daughter or a son who wanted to take on such a challenge but that’s the way those kids were raised and they are to be admired and respected for that - both parents and kids.
Sure hope she is going to be ok until the ships get there. Which should be soon as it’s already Saturday down there.
I just hope she survives and comes home to procreate and pop out about five kids with her intestinal fortitude...we need more of her DNA in the gene pool!
The Monkey Collective doesn’t want any children getting the idea that they can do things like this...
Send the parents the bill, then charge them with child abuse.
A-freakin-men.
No wonder she knew how to read and do advanced math in order to navigate. Looks like her critical thinking skills were well honed too.
Do you think she will be, ot already is, a conservative???
“I’m guessing she’s gonna go places in her life.
She’ll do whatever pleases her father.”
Got kids?
I have dropped in on several threads about this girl and her trip. I am afraid you and I are in the minority in approving of letting this young lady do this. My argument is that she is of that rare breed of risk-takers who cannot be held back.
I’m with you. Good for this girl, and her family.
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