Parents of US teen sailor defend record attempt

[WestVirginiaRebel]

AFP:

LOS ANGELES — The parents of a 16-year-old sailor stranded in the Indian Ocean defended their daughter's solo round the world record attempt Friday as the teenager awaited rescue from her stricken yacht.

Abby Sunderland became the center of an international rescue effort when her 40-foot sailboat "Wild Eyes" was dismasted by mountainous waves as the youngster attempted a treacherous winter crossing of the Indian Ocean.

Fears for the youngster's safety mounted after her parents lost contact with her shortly before two emergency beacons on the craft were activated on Thursday.

Australia scrambled a chartered passenger jet from Perth to scour seas some 3,700 kilometers (2,300 miles) away and finally spotted Sunderland before establishing radio contact with the sailor.

Sunderland, who was reported to be safe and in good spirits Friday, is now waiting to be plucked from the ocean by a French ship diverted to her location, which is expected to arrive sometime on Saturday.

After expressing relief that their daughter had been found safe, Sunderland's parents on Friday rejected criticism of their child's attempt to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world.

"The fact is whether a teenager, or a young adult or a middle-aged person, there have been many rescues that have taken place," father Laurence Sunderland told NBC television's Today program.

He cited the example of French yachtswoman Isabelle Autissier, rescued from her capsized yacht in the southern Pacific Ocean in 1999 during the solo round-the-world race.

"Do we say that she shouldn't go out there and sail or that nobody should go out and sail because you face hard knocks and sometimes people need to be rescued? I don't think so," Sunderland said.
________

YES. In a time in which lawmakers and nannystaters are so concerned about "Safety" at all costs, it's about time we had parents who weren't afraid to let their kids live life instead of hide from it.

[Pepper]

WestVirginiaRebel

 

I'm all for living free.

 

Society should not care what parents let their 16-year old do

 

- on two conditions:

 

1). Society should not interfere when other parents neglect their children and the state has to take the children away and society pays for child rearing.

 

2). All costs incurred to rescue said child are to be paid by the parents. All royalties from the inevitable book and movie must be used to pay off rescue costs first.

[Pepper]

Rescued U.S. Teen Sailor Wants Second Attempt at Solo Record

 

You go girl, better hurry before you turn 17.