Here is a story with a happy ending!
Thousand Oaks teenage sailor Abby Sunderland has been found safe and well. The news was first announced late Thursday night at a Simi Valley church where friends had gathered for a prayer service, 20 hours after the family lost radio contact with their daughter and she set off emergency distress beacons.
Search coordinator Mick Kinley, acting chief of the Australia Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) that chartered a commercial jet for the search, said the Wild Eyes keel was intact, the yacht was not taking on water and Abby was equipped for the conditions, he said.
A search plane — a chartered Qantas Airbus A330 jet that left Perth early Friday — made a 4,700-mile (7,600-kilometer) round trip from Perth to Sunderland’s boat.
Qantas spokesperson Tom Woodward said the airliner flew five hours out to sea to reach the area where the beacons were transmitting then maneuvered for another hour before spotting the 40-foot (13-meter) yacht. In all, it hovered over the site for two hours, Qantas said.
In a refreshing development, AMSA stated that it would not be seeking compensation for the search, which initially fell just outside of Australia’s search and rescue region.
“That’s the way the system runs,” search coordinator Kinley said. “We would expect people to rescue any Australian yachtsman (in these conditions). It’s our obligation to do this and we’ll fulfill those obligations as Australia does.”
(Thank you Aussies!)
The CROSS maritime rescue center on the French island of Reunion, off Madagascar, said it had sent three boats in her direction and they were expected to reach her Saturday.
A French fishing vessel, the Ile De La Reunion is expected to arrive at Abby’s location early Saturday morning.
Merci beaucoup!
What a tale Abby will have to tell when she returns.
Thank you for all your prayers.
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