A 16-year-old Californian girl attempting to sail solo around the world is safe and well, her parents said, after a massive search and rescue was launched in the Indian Ocean after she triggered distress signals.
Teenage adventurer Abby Sunderland was last heard from about 6am Pacific time on Thursday, when she broke off a satellite phone call as her yacht Wild Eyes was pounded by huge waves in the remote southern Indian Ocean.
“The plane arrived on the scene moments ago. Wild Eyes is upright, but her rigging is down. The weather conditions are abating. Radio communication was made and Abby reports that she is fine!” her parents posted on her blog.
“We don’t know much else right now. The French fishing vessel that was diverted to her location will be there in a little over 24 hours. Where they will take her or how long it will take we don’t know,” they said.
The search for Sunderland involved Australia, US and French rescue authorities sending ships and a commercial airliner to an area about 3,219km southeast of Madagascar and 3,200km southwest of Australia.
Sunderland’s father, Laurence, earlier lost contact with his daughter during a satellite phone call and believed her boat may have rolled in treacherous conditions.
The two emergency beacons transmitting signals are attached to the boat and Sunderland’s survival suit, and are activated manually by the sailor.
Laurence Sunderland said his daughter had all of the safety equipment she needed, including a cold water survival suit, life raft and bag with emergency supplies.
The area is one of the most difficult parts of the world to launch rescue operations. British solo sailor Tony Bullimore had to be rescued by an Australian navy frigate in 1996 after his yacht capsized during a race in which another competitor died.
During a blog entry written on Wednesday, Sunderland, who began her trip in January, described sailing her boat through several days of rough weather, which apparently damaged a sail.
Veteran Australian sailor Ian Kiernan, who held the Australian record for solo circumnavigation of the world, said Sunderland’s trip was badly planned, given the mountainous seas and huge wind strengths of winter in the area.
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