Round-the-world teen sailor rescued
By ANISaturday, June 12, 2010
MELBOURNE - The American teenager, who set out on a solo sail round the world, has been rescued from her battered yacht Wild Eyes.
American Abby Sunderland, 16, was taken aboard the fishing vessel Ile De La Reunion on June 12, reports News.com.au.
Sunderland left Los Angeles on January 23 in the hope of becoming the youngest person to circumnavigate the globe solo and unassisted.
She gave up that goal in April when her yacht needed to be repaired, but continued her journey anyway.
However, her yacht was damaged again in heavy seas, suffering a broken mast off Australia’s west coast on June 10.
Emergency services launched a search and rescue operation and she was located by air on June 11.
It remains unclear where she will be taken, but the Australian Maritime Safety Authority says the decision lies with the master of the 1295-ton Ile De La Reunion.
The vessel is registered in Port Aux Francais in the French-owned Kerguelen Islands, but is known to operate from Reunion Island. (ANI)
