International Rescue Mission to Help Abby Sunderland

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has taken over the international rescue mission to help Abby Sunderland, the 16-year old California girl who has tried to sail alone around the world and has triggered a distress signal when meeting unfavorable meteorological conditions on the Indian Ocean. The boat is drifting at the speed of a mile per hour, meaning that is still floating but it’s not under sail.

Clark Lusky from AMSA said that the weather is improving and, although it’s not perfect, any improvement means a lot when on a search and rescue operation.

A plane has left the Australian city of Perth that will fly over the area where Abby is thought to be, about 2000 miles East of the island of Madagascar and about 2000 miles West of Australia, and it will try to contact her on the radio. At the same time the government of Reunion, an island in the French Antarctic, has diverted a fishing boat toward Abby’s last known position – the boat will reach the area on Sunday.

Abby’s family is trying to keep positive about this matter. Abby’s father, who is monitoring her situation from their home in Thousand Oaks, California, said that his daughter has all the equipment necessary to stay alive in a crisis like this.

Abby has started her journey around the world on January 23rd from Marina del Rey, California. Her goal was to sail around the world without stopping in a 40-foot boat. She has made two stops on her way, both times caused by mechanical problems. She was on schedule to complete her journey about two months before her 17th birthday.