Russ Smith

If there's already a thread I apologize I looked but didn't find one. So authorities rescued 16 year old Abby Sutherland in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Big wave snapper her mast, she turned on the emergency beacons and 2 days later she was rescued. She's on a fishing vessel then dropped off at an island etc.

Her Newport Beach parents are now being hammered for letting her do the solo around the world trip(their son did it before) and the father is saying people are too uptight.

My take is I'm glad she's alive, I'm glad nobody else got seriously injured during the rescue(the captain of the rescue ship fell overboard during the rescue but is fine). And now I think the family should reimburse the costs of the rescue, if they can't, I think they should set up some sort of payment plan.

The father says we let 16 year olds drive a car, this is the same thing, risks are part of life, people are afraid to live. The mother said "we are not wealthy", which makes sense most people living in Newport Beach with a sailboat big enough to sail around the world are poor.

When a 16 year old drives her family is required to prove she has a license, and PROOF OF INSURANCE. What is insurance for, so that if the driver makes a mistake that causes damage either personal injury or collision or property damage, they are able to pay for the damages. I'm guessing Mr. Sunderland doesn't have sail around the world accident insurance. My paper says the first estimate for costs of the rescuse is 300K. The paper quoted 2 people involved in the rescue who both "laughed out loud" at that figure. One said they chartered a Quantas Airbus as part of the rescue. The other said that figure doesn't even come close he suspects the true cost will be 4-5 times that.

I don't fault them they want to set a world record for youngest that their son formerly held. But I do think they should be at least partially held financially responsible. People are comparing them to the Bubble Boy parents which I think is unfair, but there is a similar issue in the costs of the rescue.

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“Your expectations always exceed outside expectations. I feel like you just can’t stop working, can’t stop getting better, because I’ll be a failure in my eyes before I’m a failure in someone else’s eyes.” -- Arron Afflalo

Dback Jon

I agree with ya Russ - they should be liable for the rescue costs.

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R.I.P Tim Minnick

The KING of Cards

Tyler

I agree they should be held responsible for any rescue costs. I dont feel they should criticized for letting their daughter sail around the world. I am sure they weighed the pros and cons and made an informed decision. Stuff happens when you take risks and think outside the norm.

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Renz

I wish organizations would stop recognizing these "youngest to" records. The only way to break the record is for younger and younger and consequently, less experienced sailors/pilots etc. to make these kinds of dangerous attempts.

It's just a matter of time before some other kid gets killed like that 7-year-old pilot who died in a crash.

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Russ Smith

Yeah that's inevitable too. That's my issue the father and mother are essentially saying don't tell us how to raise our kids, which is fine. But part of the responsibility of raising your kids the way you see fit is being held accountable for what problems that may arise.

I actually don't have an issue with them letting her sail, but the minute she gets in trouble it puts other peoples lives at risk and it creates a large cost financially.

Very happy she's alive.

__________________
“Your expectations always exceed outside expectations. I feel like you just can’t stop working, can’t stop getting better, because I’ll be a failure in my eyes before I’m a failure in someone else’s eyes.” -- Arron Afflalo

Renz

Very true. The captain of the French fishing boat that rescued her actually fell in the ocean during the rescue and easily could have been lost. I wonder how her parents would have spun that one?

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Pariah

The family should probably be liable for the rescue costs--hell, if I call an ambulance because I'm having a heart attack I get the bill--but I do think people are overracting to the very idea of letting her take the journey in the first place.

Record or no, by all accounts she's a competent enough sailor to make the trip. The accident wasn't due to negligence.

jefftheshark

I heard that she ran into the Deepwater Horizon and that this is what triggered the explosion.

And yes, as a shareholder of BP, I think that her parents should pay for all of the cleanup.

JTS

Russ Smith

Yeah I agree I have no issue with the decision to let her go. Again my concern is that the dad is lecturing people about don't tell me how to raise my kids and if 16 year olds can drive why is this different. The difference is that 16 year old drivers have insurance and if a 16 year old gets into an accident they don't have to charter an Airbus and redirect multiple ships to go and rescue the 16 year old driver.

He is essentially saying it's nobody's business but ours, but had nobody gone to rescue his daughter I don't think he'd still consider it that way.

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“Your expectations always exceed outside expectations. I feel like you just can’t stop working, can’t stop getting better, because I’ll be a failure in my eyes before I’m a failure in someone else’s eyes.” -- Arron Afflalo

Gaddabout

7 is too old to fly a plane. 16 is not too old to sail solo around the ocean. We coddle our teens way too much, IMO. I'm also in favor of beating the attitude out of punk *** teens at the mall, as well as mandatory military service for anyone under 21 who commits a felony, but I suppose I'm getting off the issue.

Yes, on parents paying for rescue. They live in Newport Beach. I'm certain they can afford it.

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Before I saw him, I could figure things out. He was the first guy I saw close-up and just didn't get what he was doing. Josh Freese on Vinnie Colaiuta

AzStevenCal

Sure, I've always thought it was a great idea to put firearms in the hands of every kid that commits a felony. I mean, you already know they're motivated and all so why not take advantage of that youthful aggression and exuberance. I think I would have had a lot more fun in the army if I had been surrounded by armed felons.

Steve

jefftheshark

It worked out in the Dirty Dozen, didn't it?



JTS

AzStevenCal

That's because they had Charles Bronson. You can never go wrong with Bronson. He was Chuck Norris tough long before Chuck Norris was getting his butt kicked by Bruce Lee.

Steve

Russ Smith

Seems I gave the dad too much credit, this IS very similar to balloon boy. Local news just had a guy on who's a producer who said he had a deal with the dad to produce a documentary and possibly a reality show called Abby's World which would follow the exploits of the 16 year old sailing. They did a test run from Newport Beach to Cabo and the producer said after that he cut off the show because it was obvious the boat was not in the kind of shape needed to do an around the world trip.

He also said the dad lied to them about the amount of sailing Abby had done, vastly overexaggerated how much she's been out in the open ocean before. And he said in his time with the family it was very obvious to him the dad was pushing the daughter, he believed the son wanted to do his solo trip but said Abby was merely doing what her dad was pushing her to do.

The father says it's not true, HE cut off the negotiations because he didn't like the direction the producer wanted to go. Said Abby has wanted to do this since she was a child and denies the whole thing was designed to get them a show and/or movie deal.

On the bright side the mother is pregnant so in about 15 years maybe they can try again.

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“Your expectations always exceed outside expectations. I feel like you just can’t stop working, can’t stop getting better, because I’ll be a failure in my eyes before I’m a failure in someone else’s eyes.” -- Arron Afflalo

Gaddabout

We already do this. Military recruits teenagers in prison.

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Before I saw him, I could figure things out. He was the first guy I saw close-up and just didn't get what he was doing. Josh Freese on Vinnie Colaiuta