Posted on 06/10/2010 10:19:33 AM PDT by ml/nj
A rescue effort has been launched in hope of finding Abby Sunderland, 16, who set off her emergency beacon locating devices from the southern Indian Ocean early this morning.
Sunderland, who had been attempting to sail around the world alone, endured multiple knockdowns in 60-knot winds yesterday (Thursday local time) before conditions briefly abated.
However, her parents lost satellite phone contact early this morning and an hour later were notified by the Coast Guard at French-controlled Reunion Islands that both of Sunderland's EPIRB satellite devices had been activated.
One apparently is attached to a survival suit and meant to be used when a person is in the water or a life raft.
Abby's father struggled with emotions and said he didn't know if his daughter was in a life raft or aboard the boat, or whether the boat was upside down.
"Everything seemed to be under control," Laurence Sunderland said. "But then our call dropped and a hour later the Coast Guard called."
Abby is hundreds of miles from land. The rescue effort is being coordinated by the Reunion Islands and Australia. Sunderland had been sailing in 50- to 60-foot seas and it was dark when the EPIRB devices were activated.
The Sunderlands are asking people to pray for their daughter, a high-school junior from Thousand Oaks, Calif.
Abby was for several months one of two 16-year-olds attempting to sail around the world alone. Australia's Jessica Watson completed her journey last month, just days before turning 17.
Abby's brother Zac, who graduated from high school, completed a solo-circumnavigation last summer at 17.
The timing of Abby's trip was criticized by some because it was placing her in the middle of the Indian Ocean when the stormy Southern Hemisphere winter was at hand.
She’s near Antarctica. That water is cold.
AMEN.
And deep too
It’s nice to see posts from someone else who has followed the Sunderlands. I was at Fisherman’s Village, Marina del Rey, for Zac’s homecoming.
Best wishes.
I fully agree. Much like mountain climbers climbing in winter...or "base jumpers" (folks who jump off buildings or cliffs with a parachute) I don't see the point of such "extreme sports" except for the adrenaline rush and public applause...which only breeds personal pride and arrogance.
There is no courage involved here, as courage is about risking yourself FOR SOMEONE ELSE'S BENEFIT. Attempts such as this are sheer fool-hardiness, and (almost) deserve to end in tragedy--but for the fact that 16 year olds lack judgment--and her fate, is really her parents fault. And if rescuers lives are lost...
Sunderland had been sailing in 50- to 60-foot seas...
I'll pray for Abby alright, as God is merciful, but, I also pray that her parents and she learn a serious lesson--and that our culture would learn the same.
Risking your life for mere thrills or fame is not admirable, especially where you can put rescuers lives in danger; it is the prerogative of foolishness.
It's stupid and irresponsible, and the parents are idiots.
What an idiotic thing to say.
So have I. I was just in the car listening to the radio with the station I had on tearing her and her family apart for letting her do this. I had to turn it off. That’s a discussion that will never have an ending. God bless and protect her until she is rescued.
The important thing now is to act, to pray, not to judge.
KNX1070, local radio in SoCal, is following the story and reporting constantly: http://www.knx1070.com/
I have not been to MDR in ages I remember when it was a real marina when you could see across the whole area before all those darn condos high rises etc
Because that’s what this girl was doing - fighting a war, right?
She was sailing, and it wasn’t her first time in a boat either.
Mozart composed the Magic Flute when he was 5. Think he should have received his degree in music first?
Trouble at sea on a sailing yacht can happen to anyone. If she’d have been 18, would you feel better about this? 19? 20? I recovered a yacht sailing close-hauled 300 miles off of California with nobody aboard.
It was owned by a stock-broker who thought he could retire at 41 and single-hand it to Australia as his first offshore cruise. Guaranteed he fell off and the yacht sailed away at 9 knots without him, all because he wasn’t wearing a life vest with an EPIRB, wasn’t strapped in, and thought because he could corner the market, he could sail to Australia.
In my time in the CG, I’ll take the diligence of a sea scout with 5 years experience in sailing off shore with a healthy fear of the sea over a 41 year old adult with way too much money. In fact, we had a sort of law for it - the inverse law of money - the more expensive the boat, the less qualified the master was to pilot it.
And I’m also saying that there is a tremendous amount of luck involved with offshore sailing. Weather and seas change fast. In a sail boat, you are at the mercy of the wind. If you’re under power, you have more options, and you still might get hammered.
We took 56 degree rolls in an icebreaker not 100 miles off Puget Sound. Worst weather of a 7 month circumnavigation of North America - within sight of the beach.
She’s 16. Her parents didn’t buy her a yacht and say, “See you in a year. Send postcards.”
You’ve been conditioned to believe you need someone to declare you ‘qualified’ in order to do anything of substance in life. How long has this girl been practicing prior to her doing this cruise?
You were the one saying that we ought to have more 12 year olds fighting wars, not me.
My point is that people are capable of amazing things at very young ages, and that EVERYONE should have the benefit of being evaluated on their merits regardless of race, gender, creed, OR AGE.
It’s your interpretation that was idiotic. Not my observation.
That was put very well Having boated in So. California my whole life . Id love to know what cutters you were on here I spent a little time on the old Point Bridge out of MDR
They sold it to costa rica
I’m with you there. Thanks for the link.
Did you say ‘darn’?!!
lol.
Is darn not a word?
Let's not get carried away. I certainly would agree that there is nothing wrong with a 16 year-old sailing wherever she wants. It's our stupid education system that warehouses children and treats them as incompetents. But you obviously know nothing about Mozart or his work, and so shouldn't make comments related to him.
ML/NJ
CGC’s Steadfast (St. Pete, FL), Bear (Boston), Polar Star (Seattle).
Yeah, the Central Americans bought a lot of our old boats, didn’t they? Testament to how well the MK’s, EM’s and BM’s maintained them.
I spent some time on a Honduran patrol boat in 1987. That congressman that got gored by the goat pulled the same stunt that the CO of that boat did with a small deer on one of the islands we spent some quality BBQ time on.
We were lying in hammocks and this deer walks up like it was the family dog and was sniffing and licking. El Capitan grabs both of the antlers and that deer dropped its head and rammed him right in the thigh. Antler went in about three inches.
I laughed my ass off and then we bandaged him up and got him back aboard. He was fine. Good sea story.
Touche!
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.