16 year old sailing around the world

Round-the-world teen sailor feared lost at sea

A 16-year-old Southern California girl attempting a solo sail around the world was feared in trouble Thursday thousands of miles from land in the frigid, heaving southern Indian Ocean after her emergency beacons began signaling and communication was lost. 

A search has begun for 16 year old sailor Abby Sunderland, the sister of Zac Sunderland (pictured), after she lost contact with her family while trying to become the youngest to solo circumnavigate the globe

See Also :

Abby Sunderland fans BLOG

Abby Sunderland 16 year old sailing around the world lost at sea - rescue efforts underway 

Teenage sailor Abby Sunderland's parents comment on the rescue effort for their daughter

Abby Sunderland's parents, Laurence and Marianne, have just posted the following update on their daughter's blog, about the current rescue effort for Abby, who set off her emergency-beacon locating devices from the southern Indian Ocean early Thursday morning:

We spoke with Abby early this morning and learned that she had had a very rough day with winds up to 60 knots and seas 20-25 feet. She had been knocked down several times but was handling things well. The wind had subsided to around 35 knots which she and Wild Eyes are quite comfortable with.

We were helping her troubleshoot her engine that she was trying to start to charge her systems. Satellite phone reception was patchy. She was able to get the water out of the engine and start her up. We were waiting to hear back from her when American Search & Rescue authorities called to report having received a signal from her emergency beacon (EPIRB). We initially thought that the signal was sent automatically from her water-activated EPIRB and that it had been activated during one of her knockdowns. As we pulled the paperwork from her EPIRB registration, we learned that the signal had come from her manually activated EPIRB.

We were referred to Australian Search & Rescue and while we were on the phone with them another signal came in from her handheld PLB (Personal Locator Beacon). Her water-activated EPIRB has not been activated so we are hopeful that the boat is still upright.

We are working closely with American, French and Australian Search & Rescue authorities to coordinate several ships in the area to divert to her location. There are several ships in her area, the earliest possible contact is 40 hours. We are actively seeking out some sort of air rescue but this is difficult due to the remoteness of her location. Australian Search & Rescue have arranged to have a [Qantas] Airbus fly over her location at first light (she is 11 hours later). They will not be able to help her other than to talk via marine radio if they are able to get close enough. Hopefully, they will be able to assess her situation and report back to us.

Abby has all of the equipment on board to survive a crisis situation like this. She has a dry suit, survival suit, life raft, and ditch bag with emergency supplies. If she can keep warm and hang on, help will be there as soon as possible. Wild Eyes is designed for travel in the Southern Ocean and is equipped with 5 air-tight bulkheads to keep her buoyant in the event of major hull damage. It is built to Category 0 standards and is designed to self-right in the event of capsize.

Thank you for all of your kind emails and calls. We appreciate your prayers and support.

We will update as soon as there is some news.

Laurence, Marianne and Team Abby


See Also :

Abby Sunderland 

Abby Sunderland is believed to be 'alive' and 'most likely floating' in the Indian Ocean 

Abby Sunderland

Abby Sunderland is believed to be 'alive' and 'most likely floating' in the Indian Ocean

The engineer behind Abby Sunderland's solo trip around the world says he believes the 16-year-old Thousand Oaks sailor is "alive" and "most likely floating" in the middle of the Indian Ocean.

Speaking to a throng of reporters outside the family's home, Jeff Casher said he spoke to her at 3:45 a.m. Thursday, then lost contact after she went to check on some equipment on her boat. About an hour later, she apparently activated her emergency beacons – devices that sent automatic alerts to the Coast Guard and her family.

Casher said the family is looking at three possible scenarios. Either the boat's mast came down, giving her no ability to sail the vessel; the keel hit something and possibly flipped the boat upside down; or she may have broken an arm or leg while being whipsawed about in violent waters.

"She set this off not because she lost communication, but because something else was wrong," Casher said. They had set very clear guidelines for when to activate emergency beacons – and losing communication alone was not enough, he said.

Casher said the high school junior has the mental fitness to make it through this. Her brother, Zac, made a solo trip around the world when he was 17.

Abby Sunderland apparently was a little rattled when the boat's motor wouldn't work Thursday morning. But, Casher said, "The moment the engine started, she was her same old self – perky and tough.… She's just as tough, or tougher, as most of the cruisers we've met."

The family is hopeful that a Qantas Airbus, commissioned by the Australian government, will be able to spot her at daylight – about 10 or 11 p.m. Pacific time.

Water temperatures are about 54 or 55 degrees, Cash said, describing it as cold, but survivable. Sunderland had equipment on board to survive a crisis, including a dry suit and life boat.

See Also :

Teenage sailor Abby Sunderland's parents comment on the rescue effort for their daughter