Abby Safe on Board French Trawler

[Laidback]

Latest News - Courtesy AMSA :-
AMSA Coordinating Search and Rescue - Wild Eyes
12 June 2010 - 7:30pm MEDIA RELEASE

The rescue of 16 year old US solo sailor, Abby Sunderland, from the yacht Wild Eyes to the fishing vessel Ile De La Reunion was successfully conducted at 7:45pm AEST today - approximately 2000 nautical miles off the West Australian coast.

The rescue, coordinated by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority’s Rescue Coordination Centre – Australia (RCC Australia), was conducted with the support of a Global Express aircraft which provided top cover during the transfer and served as a communications relay between Wild Eyes and the Ile De La Reunion. The crew of the Ile De La Reunion conducted the rescue with a boat launched from the fishing vessel.

RCC Australia has notified Ms Sunderland’s family of the successful rescue. Arrangements to land Ms Sunderland will now be negotiated with the three ships that have responded to the distress situation.

International Maritime Organization guidelines indicate that such arrangements should avoid disruption to commercial shipping as far as possible. Since the fishing vessel would suffer a significant commercial penalty from leaving the fishing grounds, it is possible that Ms Sunderland will be transferred to one of the other two ships. One ship is bound for Australia and the other would likely return to its home port at La Reunion.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority wishes to acknowledge the cooperation of operators and authorities, both national and international, that have worked together to successfully conduct this rescue - these include Maritime RCC La Reunion, Qantas, WA Police, Fire and Emergency Services Authority of Western Australia, Defence and the three ships which are responding.

The Master of the Ile De La Reunion has reported Ms Sunderland is safe and in good health.

[Laidback]

Thank you Amsa and to the owners and master of the French Trawler "ILe de La ReUnion"
Well done!

[PaulM]

Very good and welcome news. And thanks to all that assisted in her rescue. I wish Abby the best.

[Ocean Girl]

What happen to Wild Eyes? did they scuttle her?

[DennisM]

Glad she's safe!

[clockwork orange]

This is very good news, i sure hope that Abby displayed responsible seamanship and scuttled the boat so some other poor sap dosnt run into it, i would assume that the builders provided a way to flood all the bouyancy chambers for such a situation.
Steve.

[Get-a-Life]

I doubt it.

If the fishing boat is as big as I think it would be, he could have run into it and tried to hole it.

If it was a warship it would probably just run over it.

It will be interesting to find out.

[Doodles]

Quotes from Abby to ABC News (Aus):

http://www.abc.net.a.../12/2925580.htm

"It's been a little bit crazy these past few days. Everything's happened pretty fast but I was really lucky that there was a boat that could come and get me where I was," she said.

"When stuff is going on out there you can't really get too scared about it - I mean it doesn't really do any good."

Sunderland says she thought the worst of a patch of bad weather was over when her yacht was hit.

"I'd been in a storm all day; I'd had 60 knots for a good part of the day. I'd been knocked down four times and things were just starting to die down," she said.

"I'd just finished fixing my engine and that was when I got hit. I don't know if it was a rogue wave or what, but the boat rolled all of a sudden.

"My whole mast was in the water. I didn't cut it off straight away 'cause it was acting as a sea anchor and keeping me from getting knocked down or rolling anymore.

"Pretty much nothing was working after that, water had gotten everywhere."


Despite the ordeal, Sunderland still plans to achieve her dream of sailing around the world.

"I'm definitely going to sail around the world again or at least give it another try," she said.

"I don't know when I'll get another chance to do it, but I've wanted to sail around the world for years and I'm definitely going to do it sometime

.

Sounds good to me.

[dcstrng]

Sure am glad she’s aboard… pretty plucky youngster, glad to see she hasn’t lost her spirit…

What seems to get lost in the barrage of “Monday morning quarterbacking” is that this is a sailing family with considerable expertise and experience (probably more than you’d find accumulated in many sailing marinas) and even they can get skunked by the ocean…

But like most of the rest of the world, we all hold our breath and pray when one of our best and brightest is in peril… really glad to have Abby safely aboard and hats off to the many air and vessel crews who dropped everything to get `er done !!

[Astrid]

Most likely, if Wild Eyes is not salvaged at some point, it will be sunk by gunfire from a naval patrol vessel to prevent it becoming a hazard to navigation. I doubt that a warship would want to sink it by running it down as these vessels have sonar domes and such that could be damaged.

[maxingout]

Well done!

[Ocean Girl]

Do we have a ETA on her arrival yet? She seems in good spirits but will probably have a "crash" soon when reality sets in, might be good that she is out in the sea a little longer, she can enjoy the ocean without the worry of survival, good for the soul.

[KEKKUL]

I suppose for her's family will be an expensive adventure $$$, for all demage causated.

[Dragon Lady]

Originally Posted by KEKKUL

I suppose for her's family will be an expensive adventure $$$, for all demage causated.

No I don't think so, the Australian govenment has said it will cover the costs involved in it's zone of responsability like it would expect any other country to do for their zone.
I'd much rather see my tax dollars spent this way than in some war zone, the added benifit is that everyone should come home alive and well.

Don't know if the boat is insured, mind you I'm sure there are plenty of media willing to pay for her story.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by Dragon Lady

I'd much rather see my tax dollars spent this way than in some war zone, the added benifit is that everyone should come home alive and well.

I'd much rather see my tax dollars spent on helping Aboriginal kids get ahead; the homeless; those on the streets because of psycological problems; battered mums; kids malnourised in countries around the world....