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http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/news/story?id=5272149
bby Sunderland, a 16-year-old attempting to circumnavigate the globe by herself in a sailboat, is feared lost at sea, according to ABCNews.com.
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AP Photo/Richard HartogAbby Sunderland, pictured in January about to leave on her solo trip, is feared lost at sea.
Sunderland activated two emergency beacons between 7 and 9 a.m. ET Thursday, her mother, MaryAnne, told ABCNews.
An engineer on Sunderland's support team, Jeff Casher, said the beacons indicate that she is in trouble. He said that he last talked with Sunderland at about 9 a.m. ET, when she told him she had been knocked down twice because of strong winds. The wind ripped the radar off the boat, Casher said.
MaryAnne Sunderland told ABCNews that her daughter was in 20- to 25-foot waves off the coast of Madagascar. She is about 500 miles north of the Antarctic Islands.
Her last blog entry Wednesday night said she had encountered some rough weather. "The wind is beginning to pick up. It is back up to 20 knots and I am expecting that by midnight tonight I could have 35-50 knots with gusts to 60 so I am off to sleep before it really picks up," she wrote on her blog.
Sunderland, who is from Thousand Oaks, Calif., left from Marina del Rey on Jan. 24. Her 40-foot boat is called "Wild Eyes."
Sunderland was trying to become the youngest person to circumnavigate the globe solo, nonstop and unassisted. That hope ended when she had to stop in Cape Town, South Africa, for repairs.
But instead of returning home, she continued the voyage.
Australia's Jessica Watson, 16, became the youngest to achieve the feat May 15 when she sailed into Sydney Harbour after a 210-day journey.
Australia's Jesse Martin had been the previous record-holder, completing the journey in 1999 at the age of 18.
Sorry if late.
at the situation. Moby +%%% probably digesting her at the moment.
