Rescuers head to teen solo sailor
Source: Agencies |
June 12, 2010, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
A 16-YEAR-OLD California girl who was feared lost at sea while sailing solo around the world has been found alive and well, adrift in the southern Indian Ocean as rescue boats head toward her damaged yacht, officials said.
After a tense 20 hours of silence, a search plane launched from Australia's west coast made radio contact with Abby Sunderland yesterday in the frigid southern seas where her boat was repeatedly knocked down by huge waves and she lost satellite phone contact.
The boat's mast was broken, ruining satellite phone reception, and was dragging with the sail in the ocean, said search coordinator Mick Kinley, acting chief of the Australia Maritime Safety Authority which chartered a commercial jet for the search.
But the keel was intact, the yacht was not taking on water and Abby was equipped for the conditions, he said.
"The aircraft (crew) spoke to her. They told her help was on the way and she sounds like she's in good health," Kinley told reporters in Canberra.
"She's going to hang in there until a vessel can get to her," probably on Saturday, he said.
Food supplies
A lifelong sailor, Abby had begun her journey trying to be the youngest person to sail solo, nonstop around the world and continued her trip after mechanical failures dashed that dream.
Abby told searchers yesterday that she was doing fine with a space heater and at least two weeks' worth of food, said family spokesman William Bennett.
Support team member Jeff Casher said the boat had been knocked on its side several times.
The French regional administration on the island of Reunion, off Madagascar, said it had sent three boats in her direction and they were expected to reach her Saturday.
Yesterday's communication with Abby was the first since satellite phone communications were lost early on Thursday.
She had made several calls to her family in Thousand Oaks, California, and reported her yacht was being tossed by 9-meter waves.
A chartered Airbus A330 jet is heading for the boat and rescuers are speaking to her by close-range VHF marine radio, police said.
After a tense 20 hours of silence, a search plane launched from Australia's west coast made radio contact with Abby Sunderland yesterday in the frigid southern seas where her boat was repeatedly knocked down by huge waves and she lost satellite phone contact.
The boat's mast was broken, ruining satellite phone reception, and was dragging with the sail in the ocean, said search coordinator Mick Kinley, acting chief of the Australia Maritime Safety Authority which chartered a commercial jet for the search.
But the keel was intact, the yacht was not taking on water and Abby was equipped for the conditions, he said.
"The aircraft (crew) spoke to her. They told her help was on the way and she sounds like she's in good health," Kinley told reporters in Canberra.
"She's going to hang in there until a vessel can get to her," probably on Saturday, he said.
Food supplies
A lifelong sailor, Abby had begun her journey trying to be the youngest person to sail solo, nonstop around the world and continued her trip after mechanical failures dashed that dream.
Abby told searchers yesterday that she was doing fine with a space heater and at least two weeks' worth of food, said family spokesman William Bennett.
Support team member Jeff Casher said the boat had been knocked on its side several times.
The French regional administration on the island of Reunion, off Madagascar, said it had sent three boats in her direction and they were expected to reach her Saturday.
Yesterday's communication with Abby was the first since satellite phone communications were lost early on Thursday.
She had made several calls to her family in Thousand Oaks, California, and reported her yacht was being tossed by 9-meter waves.
A chartered Airbus A330 jet is heading for the boat and rescuers are speaking to her by close-range VHF marine radio, police said.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
