16 Year Old Abby Sunderland Missing, Feared Lost at Sea Attempting to Become Youngest Sailor to Circumnavigate the Globe (UPDATE: Found Safe)

16 year old Abby Sunderland is missing and feared lost at sea.  Abby Sunderland was attempting to be the youngest sailor ever to circumnavigate the globe. Her support crew lost contact with Abby, who was in heavy seas in the Southern Indian Ocean. At her last contact, Sunderland was in 20-25 foot waves at the time of last contact, with 35-knot winds.

Abby Sunderland’s blog.

 ”The boat is most likely not completely submerged because there’s another alarm that sends off a signal if it goes 15 feet underwater,” Zac Sunderland said in an interview with Ron Kilgore of KNX radio in Los Angeles. “So yeah, she’s pretty banged up out there right now, and [we're] just trying to get the rescue teams out.”

Abby’s mother, MaryAnne Sunderland, told ABC News that Abby manually activated two emergency beacons sometime before 6 a.m. Pacific Time today.

 A plane from Qantas air, based in Australia, planned to fly over Sunderland’s location at first light Friday — or late Thursday evening Eastern Time.

One really has to question how on earth a parent would allow a 16 yeao old to attempt such a risky and dangerous endeavour. Presently, a search operation is underway for the missing Abby Sunderland. She is believed to be alive and floating in the Indian Ocean.

The engineer behind Abby Sunderland’s solo trip around the world says he believes the 16-year-old Thousand Oaks sailor is “alive” and “most likely floating” in the middle of the Indian Ocean.

Speaking to a throng of reporters outside the family’s home, Jeff Casher said he spoke to her at 3:45 a.m. Thursday, then lost contact after she went to check on some equipment on her boat. About an hour later, she apparently activated her emergency beacons – devices that sent automatic alerts to the Coast Guard and her family.

Casher said the family is looking at three possible scenarios. Either the boat’s mast came down, giving her no ability to sail the vessel; the keel hit something and possibly flipped the boat upside down; or she may have broken an arm or leg while being whipsawed about in violent waters.

Abby Sunderland: Australia Sends Airbus to Find Sailor Lost in Indian Ocean.

UPDATE I: 16 Year Old Abby Sunderland Found Alive

Thankfully, Abby Sunderland has been located and she is well; however, she still needs to be rescused. SM understands that sailing is this girl’s passion, but at 16 and with this near tragic event that occured, it will be interesting to see whether her parents allow another such voyage. However, in the end than God that she is safe and sound. As stated at Balloon Juice, maybe some risk management assessments need to be more thought out if you are going to let a 16 year ols risk their life in such an adventure.

A spotter jet over the Indian Ocean late Thursday made contact with 16-year-old Abby Sunderland, the Thousand Oaks solo sailor who was adrift in rough seas and heavy winds in her quest to circumnavigate the globe, a spokesman for the teen’s family said.

The Qantas Airways jetliner with dozens of harbor patrol spotters on board made radio contact with Sunderland.