Teen sailor's mom: 'We can't afford to pay back rescue costs'
Jun 14, 2010, 11:30 AM EDT
Abby Sunderland, a 16-year-old southern California girl who attempted to sail around the world but succeeded only in churning up controversy, is safely aboard a French rescue vessel at this hour, and is soon to be deposited on La Reunion Island, near Madagascar. Meanwhile, the preliminary bill for her rescue has come in, and it’s … oh, my … an estimated $300,000. That’ll happen when you have to charter a Qantas Airbus.
Sunderland’s parents, however, say that they can’t afford to repay the Australian government for rescuing their daughter, and anyway, shouldn’t the Australian and U.S. governments get together and take care of that? Oh yeah, and Abby is already planning another round-the-world voyage. And there may be a TV reality show in the works.
“What price would you put on a child’s life?” Maryanne Sunderland said yesterday when questioned about compensation.
“We’re not wealthy people.”
More from the Brisbane Courier Mail:
“The full cost of chartering an Airbus would be so high, you’d think they (Australian rescue authorities) would have to work with the US government for that.
It was also revealed yesterday the American Sailing Association refused to sponsor Ms Sunderland’s solo circumnavigation bid, citing concerns about the timing of her trip.
So in essence, the Sunderlands are saying ‘tough beans, Australian taxpayers.’ What we did is not illegal, and if our daughter gets into trouble out there, it’s up to you to subsidize the rescue.
Abby, meanwhile, is also lashing out a her critics on her blog:
Within a few minutes of being on board the fishing boat, I was already getting calls from the press. I don’t know how they got the number but it seems everybody is eager to pounce on my story now that something bad has happened.
There are plenty of things people can think of to blame for my situation; my age, the time of year and many more. The truth is, I was in a storm and you don’t sail through the Indian Ocean without getting in at least one storm. It wasn’t the time of year it was just a Southern Ocean storm. Storms are part of the deal when you set out to sail around the world.
As for age, since when does age create gigantic waves and storms?
She’s right. As we all know, storms are caused by Poseidon, the God of the Sea. And apparently he’s pissed at her.
UPDATE: Excerpt from a new blog entry by Abby:
The captain is a big, friendly, bald guy with a big beard. He speaks English pretty well and he says, “Is no good to worry about the boat. Is just a boat, you is safe. You should not think about the past.” Which is true, but its hard to keep my mind off everything that’s happened.
This is all starting to sound very familiar. Ha! It’s becoming a Rudyard Kipling novel.
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Family cannot afford to pay back teen sailor Abby Sunderland’s rescue costs: mother [Brisbane Courier Mail]
Abby’s Blog
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- Joey - Jun 14, 2010 at 2:31 PM
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I think $300K sounds incredibly high, but if the family isn’t wealthy who financed this trip? (And this new attempt they already have in the works, for that matter.) I was assuming there were some sponsors involved who’d cover costs related to the adventure–including a rescue if it were needed.
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- George - Jun 14, 2010 at 2:34 PM
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you don’t sail thru the indian ocean in the dead of winter – you just don’t do it, period.
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- bob - Jun 14, 2010 at 2:35 PM
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When she writes a book about her ordeal and does the “talk show” circut I’m sure she’ll have enough money to repay her rescuers. I say let her sail again…I’m sure the good people of Austrailia will be waiting with baited breath to help her out. What a joke!
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- roleston - Jun 14, 2010 at 2:39 PM
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The girl sounds like an experienced sailor, I don’t know why everyone is getting on her parents’ case. After all, they had a son that was only a year older that did this same thing, why would they feel the need to hold her from doing the same. They’re obviously a family full of skilled sailors.
On top of that, she can’t pay for her rescue?…really? How many of you would be able to pay for a rescue in the event that something happened to you? Like your charter plane crashing in some remote island on your vacation and someone is now gonna check your bank account to determine whether you’re worth($) saving.
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- Threat Level: Midnight - Jun 14, 2010 at 2:39 PM
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Ya know, when I was 16, I wrecked a $1000, 13-year-old Mercury Topaz, and I was grounded for a month.
She wrecks a freaking boat, and her parents are fine with it.
/call when you get there
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- Steve - Jun 14, 2010 at 2:41 PM
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What a surprise ! The parents can’t pay for the rescue, in the end who pays for it ? Not the government of Australia or the US government it’s us, the taxpayers. They knew the risks. If they couldn’t pay this should have never occurred. This is similar to that idiot family that faked that they sent their kid up in a hot air baloon, they need to be held responsbile for their actions. The teenager and her parents shold be put on a payment plan for the rest of their lives until the bill is repaid. If they refuse throw them in jail !
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- dsims7_2000 - Jun 14, 2010 at 2:41 PM
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OK, being smart, drop her off where you got her?
Seriously, should this have been taken care of BEFORE she departed? Its like going on a 7 day hiking trip with 3 days of food. And its not just this situation, People climb Mt. Everest all the time, get stuck, and need tax payers funded emergency assistance.
It should be noted in the future, If you attempt and extream adventure you must have financial money to do so. Otherwise, you dont go!
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- Mitzi - Jun 14, 2010 at 2:41 PM
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While I sympathize with the family, they should be responsible for any charges incurred with this rescue. They sent her out alone and therefore they should pay. Why should the Australian tax payers be responsible, they saved her? So if no one could save her, who would the parents hold responsible for her funeral arrangements? And no this was not illegal, but I do things everyday that aren’t illegal and the Australian taxpayers aren’t paying for me. Get real, you and your family chose this adventure, it’s like Disney, you have to pay to ride.
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- P9X - Jun 14, 2010 at 2:43 PM
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Since when is JUNE the dead of winter!!!??? what an idiot!
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- Char in miami - Jun 14, 2010 at 2:43 PM
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well the sorry little bich will no doubt rake in the bucks if/when she does all the personal appearances etc., to say nothing about any book deals or reality tv series. if and when those monies begin coming in – the australian government should sue for costs.
she certainly appears to be a fool to the nth degree and her shelflife of 15 minutes is used up.
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- tjm - Jun 14, 2010 at 2:44 PM
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Sounds like the whole family is just a bit nuts.
Rescuer’s should have asked for a credit card beforehand.
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- Q,H. - Jun 14, 2010 at 2:45 PM
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THE AMERICAN PUBLIC SEES RIGHT THROUGH YOU. No thankx to your mom, that is, for the crap she’s feeding the press now. “We can’t afford to pay the recovery costs.” TOO BAD! It’s your own damn fault in the first place! “Shouldn’t the Australian and US governments take care of that?” NO, STUPID!! YOU caused it, you and your husband with your reckless parenting to allow a SIXTEEN YEAR OLD to do this. Abby, you have NO support coming from here, and your parents have even less. YOUR fault, YOUR financial responsibility. Hope you sell a hell of a lot of t-shirts!!
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- Steph - Jun 14, 2010 at 2:45 PM
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You are so funny. You’re one of my favorite journalists. Keep writing… I can’t help but laugh every time I read something you write.
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- Karen - Jun 14, 2010 at 2:48 PM
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If Abby’s family cannot afford to pay her total costs, knowing that there could be problems, then she shouldn’t have made the trip! They cannot expect any other Government or the United States to bail her out of her problems. I was so happy to hear of her rescue and that she was safe, but they knew the risks when she sailed.
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- char in miami - Jun 14, 2010 at 2:48 PM
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yeah – so she was playing on-ups-man-ship on her brother?
that makes it even worse.
sounds to me like the whole family is nuts.
to get up the cast FOR TWO OF THESE TRIPS – an now cry poor mouth?
give me a break. put a lien on their house, cars and ALL BOATS.
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- JC - Jun 14, 2010 at 2:49 PM
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Southern Hemisphere season are different than Northern Hemisphere.
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- no sailor but... - Jun 14, 2010 at 2:49 PM
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June is the dead of winter in the Southern Hemishpere genius…
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- Mark - Jun 14, 2010 at 2:49 PM
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In the Southern Hemisphere, smart guy.
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- WALTER - Jun 14, 2010 at 2:50 PM
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If her parents don’t want to pay for the rescue turn the french rescue boat around put her back on her broken boat. had her a global phone and tell her to call her parents.
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- HM - Jun 14, 2010 at 2:50 PM
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Summer in the Northern Hemisphere = Winter in the Southern Hemisphere. You know, as the word turns tilted on its axis? Who you calling idiot Willis…..
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- Saylor - Jun 14, 2010 at 2:50 PM
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June is the dead of winter in the Southern Hemisphere. Didn’t you take geography?
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- jb - Jun 14, 2010 at 2:50 PM
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Really?
What about the Katrina victims (do you charge them to pick them up on their roofs)? What about 911 Victims? Arkansas flooding victims? House burns down, is the fire department going to start colleccting your credit card?
Seriously folks, move on with your pathetic lives.
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- Bigrat - Jun 14, 2010 at 2:51 PM
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If they can afford a big sailboat for their DAUGHTER to run around the world in,, they had better be saving their money in case something happens the NEXT time… they may find their little girl all on her own…
This is what is wrong with the “Government should pay for everything” mentality…..
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- billy in queens - Jun 14, 2010 at 2:51 PM
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I’m not sure how it works today but it used to be when you hiked in Nepal you had to put down a $20,000 deposit to ensure a helicopter rescue. If you didn’t put it down, then you didn’t get rescued. You could still get down by yak but it might take several days. A stunt like this young woman’s is much different than a hike in the national park. Millions of people hike in national parks and it’s inevitable that something will go wrong. Therefore, I’ve got no problem with hikers being rescued. But her type of stunt was a one-off publicity stunt for herself. They should have to pay the rescue costs.
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- ThatGuy - Jun 14, 2010 at 2:51 PM
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My guess since Australia and the Indian Ocean are in the Southern hemisphere. The southern hemispheres seasons are the opposite of the Northerns because they are closer to the South Pole. When our days our short its because the earth is tilted with the North away from the sun, this makes there days long and it their summer. Thus Winter in australie is June-August.
