16-yo sailor Abby Sunderland has been rescued

[TooLiveBrew]

Not sure if everyone remembers or not, but this is the young woman who was attempting to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world (her brother accomplished it at age 17 in '09 -- geez!). She had fallen out of contact, and two distress beacons on her ship had been activated. She was recovered today.

A 16-year-old US girl who ran into problems trying to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world has been rescued in the Indian Ocean.

Abby Sunderland was picked up by a French fishing vessel some 2,000 nautical miles off the Australian coast, maritime authorities said.

Her yacht, which has a broken mast, was spotted by an aerial search team in the southern Indian Ocean, midway between Australia and Africa, on Friday.

Rescuers say she is in good health.

The teenager had been stranded in mountainous seas since Thursday.

Laurence Sunderland, her father, said the family was "ecstatic that Abigail is in safe hands".

"She was in good spirits... She talked to her mother," he told reporters outside his home in California, the Associated Press reports.
...

It is the middle of winter in the southern Indian Ocean and weather conditions are currently at their most treacherous.

On Wednesday, the teenager wrote in her blog that she had experienced several days of rough weather in which her boat "was rolling around like crazy".

Link

[RockCoCougars]

Hopefully, her family is sent a large bill to cover the costs for this search and rescue operation. I have a real problem with these 'adventurers' when they bite off more than they can chew and then put the lives of rescuers at risk.

[TooLiveBrew]

That's what your focus is on after someone was saved from perishing in the ocean? I understand the feelings of scorn to the parents of that 'balloon boy' stunt, but sheesh.

[RockCoCougars]

Well, I'm glad the girl is safe. I don't really hold her culpable for all of this nonsense. I do question the sanity of any parent that would allow their 16 year old daughter to undertake such an endeavor. The point is that many of these adventurers often end up putting innocent rescuers at risk to satisfy their reckless pursuit of ego and/or danger. Not to mention diverting the attention of these resources if needed for someone who truly needs help and hasn't set out to be the 'first or youngest' whatever. Your post did mention that the Indian Ocean is particulary treacherous at this time of the year. That's all that I need to know about the intelligence of her parents for allowing her to undertake this.

[TooLiveBrew]

Not to mention diverting the attention of these resources if needed for someone who truly needs help and hasn't set out to be the 'first or youngest' whatever

 

You think she shouldn't be sailing so they can rescue someone else that's more deserving of rescuing? I think the fact that she survived & was rescued is a testament to just how well-equipped she was for this undertaking.

 

 

I do question the sanity of any parent that would allow their 16 year old daughter to undertake such an endeavor.

 

I won't agree or disagree with this personally, but here is a quip from her mother on this topic: "Could there be a tragedy?" MaryAnne Sunderland told ABC News. "Yeah, there could be. But there could be a tragedy on the way home tonight, you know, or driving with her friends in a car at 16."

[nate82]

Well, I'm glad the girl is safe. I don't really hold her culpable for all of this nonsense. I do question the sanity of any parent that would allow their 16 year old daughter to undertake such an endeavor. The point is that many of these adventurers often end up putting innocent rescuers at risk to satisfy their reckless pursuit of ego and/or danger. Not to mention diverting the attention of these resources if needed for someone who truly needs help and hasn't set out to be the 'first or youngest' whatever. Your post did mention that the Indian Ocean is particulary treacherous at this time of the year. That's all that I need to know about the intelligence of her parents for allowing her to undertake this.

Sailing around the world can not be anymore dangerous than driving down a road at the age of 16. That same 16 year is probably more likely to die in a car accident than to have died in a boating accident sailing around the world all by themselves.

 

I don't see why or how the resources were wasted. If there was another accident that needed to be attended to I bet they would have attended to that also.

[JoeHova]

I'm happy the girl was found safe. However, it seems to me that if a person willingly puts their life on the line doing something stupid (although possibly extremely fun), they forfeit the right to have their possible death talked about as something heartbreaking. If someone does die doing something like that, I'm happy for them that they got a chance to go out doing what they loved, which is not something that most people get.

[RyDogg66]

I just dont see how she was putting her life on the line. This wasnt some crazy stunt. She was just sailing. She could have run into a storm of the coast of Maine for crying out loud. You can say maybe she should not have been sailing and that resources were wasted by rescuers that might have prevented those rescuers from saving a different boat...that also shouldn't have been sailing?

[randybreuerfan]

The online Washington Post has an interesting readers' debate on this.

 

http://views.washingtonpost.com/post-user-polls/2010/06/would-you-let-your-child-sail-around-the-world-alone.html

 

Some highlights ...

 

1) "Some of us fall off the beaten path for lack of will to keep pace with the crowd.

And some break away strike out on virgin ground." analystdot1 | June 12, 2010 6:34 PM

 

I think analystdot1 was attempting to glorify Miss Sunderland's breaking away, but there are other frightening interpretations.

 

2) "The number of helicopter parents in here is just amazing; humans are wired to seek adventure."

 

Humans are wired to seek adventure, and they are also wired to protect their young. There may be a debate about whether living 16 years and displaying maturity equates to adulthood and no longer in need of parental support. Regardless, Miss Sunderland's adventure was not truly independent. The Sunderlands provided their daughter's boat with a GPS and satellite phone. In so doing, they became almost literal helicopter parents-by-proxy. When the mast broke, the helicopters came in the form of a rescue boat.

 

Mature or not in her decision-making, Miss Sunderland was not behaving as an adult. Did Miss Sunderland buy or make the boat she was sailing in? Did she find sponsors on her own? Did she pay for the GPS and satellite phone and food and sailing equipment? No, no, and no, as far as I can tell. Like Hannah Montana before her, she rode the coattails of her father.

 

One more no: to the question, Did she create this website?

 

http://www.abby16.com/

 

I have to admit, I was biased against the parents already. That website only swayed me further against them. Then I read one response on the Washington Post comments. A writer who claimed to have read a lot on the situation said that Abby's parents did not encourage her to undertake this journey. They eventually decided to support her because they feared she would do it behind their back.

 

"Abby Sunderland has been sailing since age 2 (not as a passager but as 'crew'). Her parents didn't encourage her; they couldn't discourage her and felt it better she travel with their help versus 'sneeking' [sic] out to try on her own. How do I know? Reading, lots of reading--which few here seem to want to undertake." Posted by: mil1 | June 12, 2010 1:19 PM

 

I don't know if I should trust mil1 to understand what she has read, given her spelling prowess, but what if her perspective on the Sunderland family is true? Then they've used the logic of parents who reason, "Abby's going to drink anyway, let's just give her a wine cooler and keep an eye on her from a distance." The difference - the wine cooler here is sailing around the world, and the parents' keeping an eye on her from a distance involves a GPS, satellite phone, and the good graces of Poseidon or international ocean rescue agencies. Also, by definition, sailing around the world by yourself is not something you can do with your friends when someone else's parents go away for the weekend.

 

If we liken sailing around the world alone to substances-that-are-illegal-for-16-year-olds, I think of something less regulated and more potentially transcendent than alcohol, like cocaine or heroin or ecstacy. After all, sailing around the world in a boat by yourself is for most people a once- or never-in-a-lifetime adventure. If you've done it, your life has been extraordinary, at least for a brief time.

 

I wonder if Abby's parents would support their daughter if she demanded from them an incredible intrapsychic journey. After all, as parents, we encourage our child's independence and sense of accomplishment and adventure.

 

Abby Sunderland's family supported her as she accomplished an amazing feat. She is the first 16 year-old girl to be rescued in the icy waters between India and Antarctica while sailing alone around the world.

 

As parents, we also develop our child's sense of judgment and cultivate her sense of place in the human world. Abby seems to be less accomplished in this realm, but I wouldn't hold her accountable - she is ultimately only 16 years old. Thankfully, she still has a life ahead of her. She has the opportunity to for another rare accomplishment - and unfortunately one that is more and more necessary: to break her family's cycle of parental irresponsibility.

[JoeHova]

I just dont see how she was putting her life on the line. This wasnt some crazy stunt.

OK. I don't know much about sailing. However, if this was easy, why wouldn't more people be doing it? Doing something like this solo is what seems to me to be the most dangerous part, not so much the sailing part. However, that part also seems dangerous, in the same way that you could say that jogging is relatively safe but running 100 miles is dangerous. Plenty of activities are generally safe but become dangerous when people are extremely fatigued and are pushing themselves to the limit of their stamina.

 

Also, it most definitely is/was a crazy stunt. Any time somebody tries to set one of these bizarre records it is by definition a crazy stunt. I understand that people may want to sail around the world. I can even understand wanting to do that solo. However, why would somebody have to be the youngest ever to do so if not for the crazy stunt factor?

[dadofandrew]

She's sailing in an area of the world where it took others 40 hours to reach her. Pirates, storms, a simple appendix can all kill her easily.

 

I agree her folks are an embarrassment, as they should know better. It's sad these thrill seekers get media attention and inspire others to an early grave.

[hawing]

I don't want to sound like a complete fuddy duddy, but how'd Abby work out not being in school since December or January?

[Invader3K]

I have never been sailing and think I have a pretty good grasp of how incredibly dangerous the ocean can be. I think this was an obvious publicity stunt, and her parents should be ashamed.

[TooLiveBrew]

How is it obvious? Why can't it be that she wanted to achieve something? Of course that will generate attention, and frankly I think it's cool that she could keep those interested updated via the internet.

 

I don't get the vilifying of the parents. I'm sure it's probably because she wasn't an American, but no one really seemed to notice or care that Aussie 16-yo Jessica Watson successfully circumnavigated the oceans solo. And, from that article, one more note as to why I believe this was something motivated from a sense of adventure within Sunderland, and not some shameful media ploy --

[Watson's] feat won't be considered an official world record, because the World Speed Sailing Record Council discontinued its "youngest" category.

I feel I'm as big a cynic as anyone, but man. Where do you draw the line between attention/publicity stunt & a simple desire to achieve something great? Once she turns 18, would there be some magical bean she or her parents have earned to be free of scorn?

[owbc]

She was an experienced sailor and her older brother had already completed the same feat. It's not like she randomly decided one day to get in a boat and go sailing. Also, sailing around the world is such a common occurrence that they hold an official race every year--which is non-stop, as opposed to Abby's attempt that was full of scheduled stops. I do not have the numbers, but it seems like thousands of people have already sailed around the world--she was just trying to be the youngest.

 

The parents sound like they did everything right--encouraged her passions and suggested against attempting the voyage--but could not get in the way of her aspirations in the end. Good for her. What if Shaun White's parents would have stopped him from snowboarding because he might have broke his neck? Just because doing something might be dangerous for 99% of teenagers does not mean that we should stop the 1% from doing extraordinary things.

 

I think she would have finished the voyage 9 times out of 10, but ran into an unusually strong storm. She followed all proper safety protocol after that, which suggests that she was well-trained. Maybe next time she should hire a meteorologist to help avoid storms ;-). I hope she takes a break, re-evaluates her plan, and tries again.

 

When looking at those Washington Post comments, it is interesting that people refer to her as a "child", but if she would have committed a serious crime like murder, we would have likely tried her as an "adult" and possibly sentenced her to life in prison.

[RockCoCougars]

How is it obvious? Why can't it be that she wanted to achieve something? Of course that will generate attention, and frankly I think it's cool that she could keep those interested updated via the internet.

 

I don't get the vilifying of the parents. I'm sure it's probably because she wasn't an American, but no one really seemed to notice or care that Aussie 16-yo Jessica Watson successfully circumnavigated the oceans solo. And, from that article, one more note as to why I believe this was something motivated from a sense of adventure within Sunderland, and not some shameful media ploy --

[Watson's] feat won't be considered an official world record, because the World Speed Sailing Record Council discontinued its "youngest" category.

I feel I'm as big a cynic as anyone, but man. Where do you draw the line between attention/publicity stunt & a simple desire to achieve something great? Once she turns 18, would there be some magical bean she or her parents have earned to be free of scorn?

We can agree to disagree then. I just feel that her and her parents (probably more her parents) are publicity seekers. Frankly, I have no patience for any of these people who get in trouble while attempting risky 'feats' to feed their egos and/or 'need to live on the edge' and then require/expect all out rescue operations to bail them out when something goes wrong. I always detested that Steve Fossett guy, after a while, it was like 'we get it, you are a true adventurer, now please go away'.

 

As much as people try to downplay this one, it was a very dangerous stunt- good grief, it took days to locate and rescue her, it's not like the motor on the pontoon killed in the middle of the lake.

 

In the end, her parents got what they wanted anyway, because this 'story' was all over the news.

[RyDogg66]

Would people be as worked up if this were a 29 year-old who didnt announce to the world that she was going to sail around the world with various stops at different ports and then ran into a storm that broke her mast? They likely wouldnt. Which tells me the main thing people have a problem with is either her age or the attention she is getting - not the actual sailing or needing some help part.

[Invader3K]

Now there is apparently a reality TV series in the works about the family. I think that validates what I said earlier.

[RockCoCougars]

Which tells me the main thing people have a problem with is either her age or the attention she is getting - not the actual sailing or needing some help part.

Pretty much, because her age and the attention are the only reasons that she's doing this, what else is the point? This isn't Lindbergh crossing the Atlantic on a rickety prop, this is some rich kid on a million dollar boat.

 

That said, I'm annoyed by the '29 year olds' who take stupid risks and end up trapped on a mountain face somewhere as well.

[RockCoCougars]

Now there is apparently a reality TV series in the works about the family. I think that validates what I said earlier.

Exactly. This is basically a more sophisticated and well-funded version of the 'balloon boy' family. The father should be ashamed of himself.

[RyDogg66]

I obviously have a problem with the reality TV portion of this, if it is true. I just dont have a problem with someone wanting to sail around the world. If they have the means and resources to do so, why not? She didnt climb a mountain with the possibility of terrible weather bearing down on here, she didnt do anything reckless. She planned stops, she had the requisite safety devices (GPS, satellite phones).

[thebruce44]

Its not that dangerous to sail around the world with today's technology. Its an emotional and physical marathon however, especially at that age.

 

Good for her for trying and being responsibly equiped to seek help if needed. It would have been a great acomplishment she could have been proud of the rest of her life. I would guess she will attempt it again at some point.

[GAME05]

if any are particularly interested, i read a book called "A Voyage for Mademen" that's about this very thing--sailing around the world. the first time it was done it was turned into a race. it's actually a somewhat recent thing; the first time someone did it was around 1965. the book also details the particular dangers people face while doing this sort of thing.

 

having weather satellites certainly adds to the safety of the whole thing, but it's still very dangerous going around the horns of South America and Africa and just hitting general storms and waves. one person in the book didn't like to wear his safety harness when he was on deck because he felt it was too restricting. so granted, i don't sail and my knowledge comes from this book, but i do think that it's still pretty dangerous to sail around the world.

 

despite not making it, i think this is still something she can be very proud of. making it i think matters a lot less than just going for it in the first place.

 

i lean toward not letting my hypothetical 16 y/o daughter sail around the world, despite her experience. i'd prefer for her to wait until 18, but then i wonder about sponsorships, if she would have even been able to raise the money to do this if she were 18 and not 16 and trying to be the youngest person to do this.

 

was someone really worried about her missing school? really? i can assure you with some degree of personal experience that she has gained a great deal of wisdom, maturity and introspection that she wouldn't have built in the same amount of time attending school. what i've gained from my own adventuring no time in school has ever replicated.

[Baldkin]

Every dime they make from that reality show should be poured back into paying for whatever was expended to rescue her, or donated to something like the Haitian rebuilding effort.

[TooLiveBrew]

So should appropriately-aged (whatever arbitrary number that is) sailors be forced to repay rescue fees? I think it's ridiculous that people are suggesting she should have to do that. That's precisely the kind of operation seafaring rescue forces are assembled to execute. And they're probably funded through taxes. It would be like clamoring that any sailor that has to be rescued in Lake Michigan, or the Atlantic/Pacific off the U.S. coasts should have to pay for the service. How dare they sail & get out to explore the world!