Sailor's rescue bill ads up for Australia, France
Source: Agencies |
June 18, 2010, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THE first day Abby Sunderland was stranded in the Southern Ocean, Australia's rescue agency chartered a jet to fly over the area where her emergency beacon was activated.
The 11-hour flight cost an estimated A$110,000 (US$94,500).
The second day, after locating her, the agency sent another plane to coordinate her pickup by ships racing toward her damaged and drifting yacht.
The Australian military also deployed two Orion aircraft to wait on an Indian Ocean island in case an airdrop or further assistance was needed. An Orion costs about A$30,000 an hour to operate.
In the meantime, the French territory of Reunion Island diverted three ships to Sunderland's location. The fishing vessel that reached her first lost at least three days of work; a commercial ship also sent to her rescue would have added three to four days of travel time to its intended destination.
Her rescue on Saturday within two days of setting off the emergency call was welcomed in Australia and in her home state of California. But amid the well-wishers on online forums and news sites were many who questioned why Australia and France were footing the bill for an American teenager's solo quest.
But the countries involved in the rescue effort have brushed off questions about the cost of the rescue and have no plans to seek recompense. Rescues at sea are a no-cost agreement under international conventions regarding maritime search and rescue.
"That's not the way the law works," Australian Transport Minister Anthony Albanese said on the weekend. "The Australian taxpayer at the end of the day makes a contribution. But we have to put this in context. If there was an Australian lost at sea we would want ... every effort to be made to save that person."
The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, adopted in 1914 in response to the Titanic disaster, dictates that any ship in the area of a distress call will divert to assist that ship.
The 11-hour flight cost an estimated A$110,000 (US$94,500).
The second day, after locating her, the agency sent another plane to coordinate her pickup by ships racing toward her damaged and drifting yacht.
The Australian military also deployed two Orion aircraft to wait on an Indian Ocean island in case an airdrop or further assistance was needed. An Orion costs about A$30,000 an hour to operate.
In the meantime, the French territory of Reunion Island diverted three ships to Sunderland's location. The fishing vessel that reached her first lost at least three days of work; a commercial ship also sent to her rescue would have added three to four days of travel time to its intended destination.
Her rescue on Saturday within two days of setting off the emergency call was welcomed in Australia and in her home state of California. But amid the well-wishers on online forums and news sites were many who questioned why Australia and France were footing the bill for an American teenager's solo quest.
But the countries involved in the rescue effort have brushed off questions about the cost of the rescue and have no plans to seek recompense. Rescues at sea are a no-cost agreement under international conventions regarding maritime search and rescue.
"That's not the way the law works," Australian Transport Minister Anthony Albanese said on the weekend. "The Australian taxpayer at the end of the day makes a contribution. But we have to put this in context. If there was an Australian lost at sea we would want ... every effort to be made to save that person."
The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, adopted in 1914 in response to the Titanic disaster, dictates that any ship in the area of a distress call will divert to assist that ship.
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