Teen Sailor Abby Sunderland Found Alive; Family is 'Relieved'

[Liberal In Texas]

The teen attempting to become the youngest sailor to circumnavigate the globe has been found stranded at sea after a storm tossed her boat on its side and snapped the mast.

Abby Sunderland, 16, told search and rescuers around 11 p.m. PST Thursday that she was unharmed and had righted her boat, but had lost sailing capacity. Her family, sick with worry while Sunderland was lost at sea, was elated to hear the news.

"I think I knew in my heart she was okay, but your mind does play out different scenarios," her mother, MaryAnne Sunderland told "Good Morning America" today. "It was a very, very difficult few hours."

Abby's journey is over and she will return home, her father Laurence Sunderland told Australian news media.



http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/abby-sunderland-teen-sailor-found-alive-crisis-sea/story?id=10885107

[annabanana]

1. That's good. I'm glad she'll come back to her family. NOW...

I'd be grateful if we were just allowed a little sigh of relief for that family.. and then NOT have the idiot box spend hours and hours of cable-time interviewing them for our "gratification".

It's a private family story and has no National import whatsoever.


I know, I know... I'm pissin' in the wind . . .

[trumad]

2. You think this is bad...

Wait until the Natalee Holloway show returns in full force.

[Romulox]

4. Soooo....you think this family did all this because they DIDN'T want attention?

:silly:

If anything, this story is a parable about how easy it is to manipulate young people into thrill-seeking for the sake of attention and approval.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

16. You are aware that her brother made the same trip previously?

[KittyWampus]

9. it's not a private family story. They were blogging to the world about it. The teen require rescue

teams.

No, it's not a private family story. The family themselves made sure of that.

[lunatica]

3. I'm so happy to hear this news!

For the first time in a long time my tears are joyful. What an amazing young woman! Her boat was tossed on its side and the mast broken and she righted it! Wow!

[peace13]

15. I am happy for her too.

The keel had a lot to do with the boat righting itself. Abby on the other hand, has managed to stay aboard and not be knocked in the head so she did a fine job too!

[polichick]

5. Great news! I give her credit for wanting to do this, but it's sure risky. nt

[Jim__]

6. Good news! - n/t

[customerserviceguy]

7. While I'm certainly glad she is safe and well

I also hope fervently that this episode discourages parents from allowing their kids to do this sort of silly stunt shit. If you want to excel, go get an advanced degree, or champion legislation that helps people, or raise funds for the unfortunate. But sailing around the world doesn't really do a damn thing for any of us in a tangible way.

[GreenEyedLefty]

8. Cripes, I'm reminded of the quote from Homer Simpson...

"Lisa, if the Bible has taught us nothing else -- and it hasn't -- it's that girls should stick to girl's sports, such as hot oil wrestling and foxy boxing... and such and such."

Where was the moralistic nattering before this girl set sail? Oh, that's right, there wasn't any because it didn't make the national news. So the idea that this is all a stunt rings hollow, to me.

[KittyWampus]

12. This was discussed and many did have concerns about the wisdom of allowing a minor

to engage in such monumental risk-taking.

[GreenEyedLefty]

14. I read her blog from beginning to end.

It seems to me the family knew the risks (including the dangers of sailing in a Southern Hemisphere winter) and planned for them accordingly. I'm coming at this as a parent of girls. If I was 100% confident in her abilities and experience, I would let my daughter go. Reluctantly, but she would go nevertheless.

16 year olds take monumental risks in their own back yards, for Pete's sake.

[KittyWampus]

10. I'm glad/hope no one was negatively impacting rescuing her.

[Liberal In Texas]

13. She has been found, not rescued.

Ships are en route.

[backscatter712]

11. The corporate media has to distract us somehow.

What, you think the Rupert Murdochs would let us debate Israel and environmental grievances for an extended period of time on the air? No, they want us watching missing white girls, dammit!

[Iggo]

17. Man, I loves me some good news. (n/t)

[cherokeeprogressive]

18. This is the best news we could have hoped for. We now return to our regularly scheduled programming:

The Natalie's Still Missing Show, The Who Killed Natalie Show, the Urine Van Der Sloot Confession Show, and the Larry King Show, where he will discuss Natalie Holloway for da whole owah.

[Liberal In Texas]

19. I bet they get a lot of mileage out of this. n/t

[smoogatz]

20. Apparently her family are quasi fundies who believed she'd be okay

not because she's the greatest little sailor ever, but because God would protect her. And, you know, the Australian freaking Navy. And that seems kind of crazy and stupid to me. Kind of like sending your kid out to play on the freeway because you think they're protected by an invisible force-field. I'm glad she's safe, but her parents need a good bitch-slapping, IMO.

[polichick]

22. They should have to pay for the rescue. nt

[smoogatz]

23. Yep.

[cbayer]

21. The mast breaking was just about the only thing that she could not have fixed herself.

I know she is deeply disappointed, but I am glad she is safe and hope she has the opportunity to try again soon.

:toast: to Abby

[gmoney]

24. Balloon Boy Redux

I'm guessing the Sunderland's are smarter though...

"Tommy Hilfiger on line three"