Sunderland, 16, had been a little past the halfway point in an attempt to become the youngest person to sail around the world alone.
Helicopters reportedly do not have the fuel capacity to reach her but a crew aboard an airplane from Australia had expected to arrive at the position issued via her EPIRB satellite positioning device at daybreak local time (she's 11 hours ahead of Pacific Daylight Time). But the crew aboard the plane would be unable to do much other than keep track of the vessel and talk to Abby via marine radio, if it can get close enough and the radio is functional, and if Abby is able to operate the radio.
Australian Maritime Safety Authority spokeswoman Carly Lusk said in an Associated Press story that three vessels were sent from the French territory of Reunion Island and that the aircraft left from Perth on what was supposed to be a four-hour flight to a position located 2,000-plus miles from Africa and Australia.
It was not clear when the vessels left, but it would take a day for the nearest ship to reach the area. Reunion Island is off Madagascar along the east coast of Africa.
The Sunderland parents, Laurence and Marianne, had not at the time of this post gone outside to meet with reporters in front of their home in Thousand Oaks, Calif. But this afternoon they issued an update on Abby's blog.
It stated that it the EPIRB unit issuing a signal was one that has to be activated manually. Presumably this is the unit attached to her survival suit or life jacket. Another signal had come from a hand-held Personal Locator Beacon, or PLB. The water-activated EPIRB unit did not activate, which might mean her 40-foot vessel, Wild Eyes, is afloat and upright.
Jeff Casher, a spokesman for the Sunderlands, did meet with reporters and outlined three possible scenarios and reasons she issued distress signals: The boat was de-masted, rendering Abby unable to sail; the vessel capsized, or she became seriously injured with all the bouncing around.
It's not clear if Abby is on the boat, in a life raft or in the water. She is wearing a survival suit designed for emergency situations. The water temperature in the area is in the low to mid-50s, according to recent reports.
Sean Collins, a weather expert and founder of the surf-forecasting business Surfline, studied the weather in the area and said an "extra tropical" storm had developed. Collins explained that the storm Abby had been dealing with in previous days became supercharged "when a large mass of warm tropical air from the Madagascar area was sucked down into the cold air of the storm." Collins liked that to throwing gasoline on fire.
Collins, a lifelong sailor who has competed in long-distance races and endured winds up to 80 knots, said possible scenarios in these extreme conditions include "pitch-poling," which is when a boat flips end-over-end, and "submarining," which entails riding down a wave and driving nose-first into the water, possibly flipping.
"The fact that she was able to manually activate two separate emergency beacons is actually a very good sign," Collins said.
Of the aircraft en route to her position the Sunderlands stated in the blog post: "Hopefully, they will be able to assess her situation and report back to us."
Earlier in the day, Zac Sunderland, who last July completed a solo-circumnavigation of the planet in a 36-fot sailboat, issued this comment to KNX radio in Los Angeles: "We're still trying to figure out the rescue situation. Right now we're trying to figure out if there is any faster way."
The Sunderlands are in touch with American, French and Australian search-and-rescue authorities.
Abby, a high-school junior who had dreamed of sailing around the world since she was 13, has a big red heart painted on the bottom of her white keel. If her 40-foot cruising sled, Wild Eyes, has capsized and she is clinging atop the hull, maybe this will make her more visible.
The Sunderland parents, Laurence and Marianne, had not at the time of this post gone outside to meet with reporters in front of their home in Thousand Oaks, Calif. But this afternoon they issued an update on Abby's blog.
It stated that it the EPIRB unit issuing a signal was one that has to be activated manually. Presumably this is the unit attached to her survival suit or life jacket. Another signal had come from a hand-held Personal Locator Beacon, or PLB. The water-activated EPIRB unit did not activate, which might mean her 40-foot vessel, Wild Eyes, is afloat and upright.
Jeff Casher, a spokesman for the Sunderlands, did meet with reporters and outlined three possible scenarios and reasons she issued distress signals: The boat was de-masted, rendering Abby unable to sail; the vessel capsized, or she became seriously injured with all the bouncing around.
It's not clear if Abby is on the boat, in a life raft or in the water. She is wearing a survival suit designed for emergency situations. The water temperature in the area is in the low to mid-50s, according to recent reports.
Collins, a lifelong sailor who has competed in long-distance races and endured winds up to 80 knots, said possible scenarios in these extreme conditions include "pitch-poling," which is when a boat flips end-over-end, and "submarining," which entails riding down a wave and driving nose-first into the water, possibly flipping.
"The fact that she was able to manually activate two separate emergency beacons is actually a very good sign," Collins said.
Of the aircraft en route to her position the Sunderlands stated in the blog post: "Hopefully, they will be able to assess her situation and report back to us."
Earlier in the day, Zac Sunderland, who last July completed a solo-circumnavigation of the planet in a 36-fot sailboat, issued this comment to KNX radio in Los Angeles: "We're still trying to figure out the rescue situation. Right now we're trying to figure out if there is any faster way."
The Sunderlands are in touch with American, French and Australian search-and-rescue authorities.
Abby, a high-school junior who had dreamed of sailing around the world since she was 13, has a big red heart painted on the bottom of her white keel. If her 40-foot cruising sled, Wild Eyes, has capsized and she is clinging atop the hull, maybe this will make her more visible.
The Sunderland parents were part of a large prayer vigil earlier in the day.
--Pete Thomas
-- Photo of Zac and Abby Sunderland by Pete Thomas-- Editor's note: This post also appears on the GrindTv.com Outdoors channel
The opinions you provid are of grat help, I like your blog, thank you.
Posted by: creative recreation | Jun 21, 2010 at 01:06 AM
Trusting the irresponsible parents at least write letters of apology to the many people involved with the rescue.
Posted by: Gauta B. Kidding | Jun 12, 2010 at 02:55 PM
Thank the Lord she is safe. What a silly trip. Pilots were put at risk, the fishing boat captain was endangered (falling in the water). These narcisist record setting children need to stay in school, get a job and realize life is not all about them. This whole event sickens me. Go home Abby, get your head in the books, and get prepared to make a living. The real 16 year old heroes are working 3 jobs to pay for a few quarters of college. Perhaps Daddy will be so thrilled to see you, that there will be a new Corvette in your driveway.
Posted by: Mark Ellis | Jun 12, 2010 at 12:36 PM
hey Abby I'll come see you when you get back to cali as for her parents ....I love them for having raised such an extraordinary daughter she is my hero ...AND i HAVE BEEN LOST AT SEA MYSELF. you yellow bellied cowards keep your opinion to yourselves and raise your own fat dork lazy computer geek children that can't even walk to school alone NAT
Posted by: dave james | Jun 10, 2010 at 09:42 PM
Child abuse charges? That stupid comment cannot be serious. Hang in there brave girl.
Posted by: divisional | Jun 10, 2010 at 08:34 PM
Reimburse? are you kidding me? what about all the illegals using our health system and food stamps? yet you want a legit rescue operation to be reimbursed? you people hating on the Sunderlands are such imbeciles, go lock your overweight children in their rooms with their x-box and cell phones and computers and know that they are "safe".... I congratulate Abby on her bravery and will to go out there and live, she obviously was raised with passion and drive unlike the oxygen draining leeches you haters spawned.
Posted by: booshkaboop@hotmail.com | Jun 10, 2010 at 08:29 PM
it's not the time to put the blame on anyone...it's the time to pray and hope for her return home safe and sound...May God and His miracles be with her now.
Posted by: Mario | Jun 10, 2010 at 08:04 PM
No one can truly understand or appreciate another persons dreams. The personality that makes an adventurer or pioneer is not easily understood. Abby had a dream and she is living it. It is not the parents fault for allowing her to pursue her dreams.
Pray.
DP
Posted by: D. P. | Jun 10, 2010 at 07:47 PM
hope she's ok , where are the parents? why didn't they route her the safest possible way. Can child abuse charges be filed?
Posted by: nat | Jun 10, 2010 at 07:41 PM
STUPID...STUPID...STUPID PARENTS!!!
Posted by: CrazeeCarl | Jun 10, 2010 at 07:09 PM
Keeping Abby in our thoughts until she is found.
Posted by: Linda Kauer | Jun 10, 2010 at 06:20 PM
Joining you in prayer for Abby!
L.A.
Posted by: barbara masoner | Jun 10, 2010 at 05:38 PM