Lost Teen Sailor Alive; Rescue Ships En Route

Hopefully she can hold out a little bit longer:

A 16-year-old sailor on a round-the-world journey alone was drifting in the frigid southern Indian Ocean on Friday as rescue boats headed toward her yacht, damaged by 30-foot waves that knocked out her communications and prompted her to set off a distress signal.

After a tense 20 hours of silence, a search plane launched from Australia's west coast made radio contact with Abby Sunderland on Friday.

She has food and a space heater so there doesn't appear to be an immediate danger.

You know what is really missing in modern society? I wouldn't say virtue per se. (I'd say virtue is fairly constant, or, let put it this way: Wickedness is fairly constant.)

People don't have enough guts and moxie. That's what's different now. Some have it, but not as many who used to.

We have a Moxie Deficit.

(And no, I sure don't have it. I look at this sort of stuff and it's as alien to my experience as superpowers.)

Quote from the Father:

"Sailing and life in general is dangerous. Teenagers drive cars. Does that mean teenagers shouldn't drive a car?" Laurence Sunderland told the AP. "I think people who hold that opinion have lost their zeal for life. They're living in a cotton-wool tunnel to make everything safe."

Tough question. I'm sure most parents wouldn't make this decision. But... I don't know, maybe he's raised a dangerous daughter, but also an interesting one.

Thanks to Buzzsaw for that quote.

posted by Ace at 05:44 PM

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