Missing and feared lost at sea, Abby Sunderland successfully linked up with an Australian search-and-rescue team early Friday morning.
But the 16-year-old American sailor — trying to become the youngest to complete a circumnavigation of the globe — still has some cause for concern. Her boat, dubbed Wild Eyes, is some 2,000 miles off the coast of Australia, crippled in the South Indian Ocean. However, officials say Sunderland is uninjured, in good shape and in no danger of her boat sinking.
The plan is to use a French fishing vessel to tow Wild Eyes to Australia. According to CNN, it’s a stroke of luck that the boat was even in the area — the route Sunderland was taking sees sparse commercial traffic this time of year.
Sunderland triggered distress beacons yesterday during a bout of bad weather that demasted her sail boat. While there were initial fears she could be lost at sea, her family was encouraged that the emergency beacons were triggered manually, rather than by contact with seawater. A search-and-rescue effort began in earnest on Thursday and successfully located Sunderland Friday morning.
Sunderland was attempting to become the youngest person to successfully complete a solo circumnavigation of the globe in a sailboat. Her brother, Zac, completed the journey last year and briefly became the record holder at age 17.