That Girl that Failed Sailing Around the World...

The big news story that is making its way through the media now is the story of Abby Sunderland.  She is a 16 year old girl that attempted the world record for being the youngest girl to sail around the world.  She left back in January, and failed to make it around the world.  Her boat hit a storm in the Indian Ocean and was rendered inoperable.  She required immediate rescue.  In an International rescue effort, she was found and is on her way to Madagascar so that the United States can pick her up. 
 
Here is where the story gets interesting.  Australia is going to charge the family at least $300,000 to recover the cost of the rescue.  The family is going crazy saying that they can't afford it, and "What price do you put on a child's life?"  But it doesn't end there.  The family has sold the rights to her story to be turned into a TV series AND a book, and they "can't afford it."  This is ridiculous.  The family should be held responsible for what they allowed their daughter to do.  I mean she is only 16 years old, so she is still technically a child.  Hello.  Child Endangerment comes to mind.  The family needs to be held responsible for their actions based solely on that ground alone.  France (the country that actually found her) has not decided if they are going to charge the family on some level yet. 
 
I have stated where I stand on this case.  What about you the Giant Bomb Community?     
 
Edit: Did I mention that she wants to go out and try it again? 

The big news story that is making its way through the media now is the story of Abby Sunderland.  She is a 16 year old girl that attempted the world record for being the youngest girl to sail around the world.  She left back in January, and failed to make it around the world.  Her boat hit a storm in the Indian Ocean and was rendered inoperable.  She required immediate rescue.  In an International rescue effort, she was found and is on her way to Madagascar so that the United States can pick her up. 
 
Here is where the story gets interesting.  Australia is going to charge the family at least $300,000 to recover the cost of the rescue.  The family is going crazy saying that they can't afford it, and "What price do you put on a child's life?"  But it doesn't end there.  The family has sold the rights to her story to be turned into a TV series AND a book, and they "can't afford it."  This is ridiculous.  The family should be held responsible for what they allowed their daughter to do.  I mean she is only 16 years old, so she is still technically a child.  Hello.  Child Endangerment comes to mind.  The family needs to be held responsible for their actions based solely on that ground alone.  France (the country that actually found her) has not decided if they are going to charge the family on some level yet. 
 
I have stated where I stand on this case.  What about you the Giant Bomb Community?     
 
Edit: Did I mention that she wants to go out and try it again? 

Maybe its just because I'm a sucker for bittersweet endings, but it seems like this makes for a better story than whatever Disney fantasy those TV producers thought they were buying. And I've never in my life heard of people charging for a rescue. Never.

If it had been a 16 year old boy no one would give a shit. A foolish non-story.

Wait? Who the fuck would charge someone to save them? That is low Australia. The Coast Guard here doesn't charge people. This is like the firedepartment not putting out a fire untill you wrote the check. Utter crap. It doesn't matter if they can pay for it or not, they shouldn't have to.
 
@ryanwho said:

" Maybe its just because I'm a sucker for bittersweet endings, but it seems like this makes for a better story than whatever Disney fantasy those TV producers thought they were buying. And I've never in my life heard of people charging for a rescue. Never. "

Hmm, never heard of this until now. That is kinda crazy, the parents allowing her to go on such a journey. I don't know how much money the family made of off their daughters story, but I can't imagine it being too much since they can't pay for the costs of the rescue. Either that or they're real fucking idiots.

Yep, they knew the risks going into it, that she would be in danger, and the people who saved her risked their lives because it didn't turn out well.

First of all that's crazy to attempt that at 16, jeez. But her parents sound like creeps. Strange family.

" mememememe                                       "

" @LunarAura said:

" mememememe                                       "

This isnt about you. Nobody asked how you would respond to the story. Stop looking for attention. "

Ooooh those kooky Sunderlands. First James kill his first wife then lets his 16 year daughter attempt to sail around the world. 
 

State parks, at least here in Maine, will charge people who wander off the paths and require rescue. Adds up if they also get injured and require helicopter rescue. If you can quantify just how much it costs to rescue stupid people, I see no problem.

Now I know a bunch of coach dwelling PE dropouts might have a hard time comprehending this, but most people who attempt stuff like this do so to challenge themselves and to prove themselves exceptional in their field. The Olympics still happen in a world without cameras. Now its fine if you have zero goals in life and resent anyone who pushes themselves, just understand if you ever talk to real people about this story you'll end up looking like a douchebag if you're shitting on this person.

Without doing any research whatsoever, isn't a 16 year old in Australia the equivalent of an 18 year old in the US? By law I mean? Isn't she considered an adult there? 
 
Again, no research.

" @ElegantRuby: I know, what I meant is that they should. Like if someone gets stranded off our coast we send out the coast guard and they rescue them. The coast guard isn't going to go and chage them just because they aren't from the US. So our tax dollars go to save some random foreigner. BUT we saved someones life and that is what matters. You then don't go and make there life worse by charging them tons of money. Australia should pay for it as good samaritans . "

" Maybe its just because I'm a sucker for bittersweet endings, but it seems like this makes for a better story than whatever Disney fantasy those TV producers thought they were buying. And I've never in my life heard of people charging for a rescue. Never. "

 @Daveyo520:  As if it cost $300,000 to deploy a rescue squad anyways.
 
@Vito_Raliffe:  Hell, aren't there 14 year olds getting married and raising families in eastern europe?

The other 16yr old whos record she was trying to beat is probably smiling pretty hard right now.

No one else should have to foot the bill for this girl's early-life crisis and resultant rescue. If they can't afford the rescue bill they shouldn't have permitted her to go. In any case I'm hard pressed to believe that a family which can afford to foot the bill for their child to sail a boat around the world can't pay for the rescue. 

" @ryanwho said:

" Maybe its just because I'm a sucker for bittersweet endings, but it seems like this makes for a better story than whatever Disney fantasy those TV producers thought they were buying. And I've never in my life heard of people charging for a rescue. Never. "

Every other week some yank or pome diver, surfer, sailor aka idiot gets themselves in trouble and as we are the only country down here they know the name of we have to pay for that shit the government wont charge $300,000 AU but there will be a fee  and you know what you dont like it dont sail in some of the most dangerous violent waters on earth how about that  and ya her dad sounded super disconnected about the whole thing when she was lost "

" @GIVEMEREPLAY: THANK YOU!!!  My God.  Finally someone with a lick of common sense!!! "

I think this is the same girl I heard awhile ago that tried to separate form her parents so she could sail around the world but am not sure. 
They cant pay this bill yet they bought a boat and supplies and the equipment for their daughter to do this and they sold the rights to a film and a book. Here in Ireland where I live at least their is a bill for calling out the fire department and I think for launching a lifeboat so what did they expect different country different rules.

As for her being 16, I don't really see that being a problem, as the world could do more with people trying to achieve goals beyond getting lucky at prom, before they're 18.
 
As for the rescue, thank God for Australia, cause you make the US look like we know what we're doing half the time.  Now if we could just get Canada to have some more "wtf" moments...

Whinny attention seeking brats sent their brat child to a dangerous trip that almost made her lose her life, and now they bitch about having to pay for rescue costs.

Serves them right.

" @ElegantRuby said:

" @GIVEMEREPLAY: THANK YOU!!!  My God.  Finally someone with a lick of common sense!!! "

Because everyone who disagrees with you has no common sense. "

if they can afford to send their daughter on a world sailing journey on a boat (and apparently they let their son did it too before) and they sold the rights to a book then they can damn well pay the fine.

" The other 16yr old whos record she was trying to beat is probably smiling pretty hard right now. "

" @Vorbis said:

" The other 16yr old whos record she was trying to beat is probably smiling pretty hard right now. "

I thought I remember reading that the world record holder is actually her older brother. "

The parents should be thankful that their daughter is alive and well thanks to Austrailia 
But $300,000 for a fee? 
Come on, that's ridiculously high for just a rescue operation

" The parents should be thankful that their daughter is alive and well thanks to Austrailia But $300,000 for a fee? Come on, that's ridiculously high for just a rescue operation "

" @Hats said:

" @ryanwho said:

" Maybe its just because I'm a sucker for bittersweet endings, but it seems like this makes for a better story than whatever Disney fantasy those TV producers thought they were buying. And I've never in my life heard of people charging for a rescue. Never. "

Every other week some yank or pome diver, surfer, sailor aka idiot gets themselves in trouble and as we are the only country down here they know the name of we have to pay for that shit the government wont charge $300,000 AU but there will be a fee  and you know what you dont like it dont sail in some of the most dangerous violent waters on earth how about that  and ya her dad sounded super disconnected about the whole thing when she was lost "

Wow, get off the cross. You think the US doesn't have to deal with this? I'm in the Coast Guard, I send cutters off to rescue Cuban immigrants sinking in a truckboat weekly. Even as a foul mouthed American I have enough tact to know giving someone a bill for saving them from a sinking boat just makes you look like a cunt. So you don't do it. Unless you're Australia and clearly don't give a shit what the world thinks. Do your own thing, its clearly working out great down there. "

 Do your own thing, its clearly working out great down there

You know, it's threads like these that make me wonder where all of the common decency has gone. Everyone is so obsessed with cost and blame that they refuse to look at what transpired. 
 
A young girl wanted to sail around the world. She got the means together to pull it off. Bad shit happened out in the waters (as will happen, I've been on enough sailing trips to know how quickly conditions will change), and it was more than she could handle. Her shit got wrecked, yo, and then it seems like good, decent people decided to help her out.  It seems to me like no matter which way you cut it, you cannot start pushing for the young girl (or her family) to pay the "fee" for having her life saved without coming across as a cold and spiteful bastard. You know why? Because if you're honestly pissed about a rescue team saving someone's life because they can't afford the supposed "fee", you are a cold and spiteful bastard.  
 
I mean really, picture this happening to anyone you know or care about, and then tell me that this is in any way right.  
 
Seriously, we need a little more compassion for our fellow human being in this world.

" @deathstriker666 said:

" The parents should be thankful that their daughter is alive and well thanks to Austrailia But $300,000 for a fee? Come on, that's ridiculously high for just a rescue operation "

You're an expert on Australian rescue operations? Please, bookie, tell me what it should cost given your knowledge of fuel costs, wages, insurance, opportunity costs, etc.  "

" @Hats said:

" @ryanwho said:

" Maybe its just because I'm a sucker for bittersweet endings, but it seems like this makes for a better story than whatever Disney fantasy those TV producers thought they were buying. And I've never in my life heard of people charging for a rescue. Never. "

Every other week some yank or pome diver, surfer, sailor aka idiot gets themselves in trouble and as we are the only country down here they know the name of we have to pay for that shit the government wont charge $300,000 AU but there will be a fee  and you know what you dont like it dont sail in some of the most dangerous violent waters on earth how about that  and ya her dad sounded super disconnected about the whole thing when she was lost "

Wow, get off the cross. You think the US doesn't have to deal with this? I'm in the Coast Guard, I send cutters off to rescue Cuban immigrants sinking in a truckboat weekly. Even as a foul mouthed American I have enough tact to know giving someone a bill for saving them from a sinking boat just makes you look like a cunt. So you don't do it. Unless you're Australia and clearly don't give a shit what the world thinks. Do your own thing, its clearly working out great down there. "

Stay classy Australia.
 
Btw I still love you more then US.

People outside of OZ prob would not know this but we just had some 16 year old finsh her solo sail around the world about 2 weeks (i think) before all this started and the media plugged that for all its worth
most aussies are sick of 16 year old girl round the world solo sailors
 
and its not going to be $300,000 that's a number the courier newspaper pulled out of there ass
 
the dad is also selling the rights to make a reality show

  Those criticisms preceded the news that Laurence Sunderland had let cameras into his home to chronicle his family's daredevil feats.
"We thought it might be a good idea if it was encouraging to kids to get out there and do things," Sunderland told the Post.  

You can't put a price on a human life, but it DOES cost money to rescue people.
 The family should pay up. The only reason "they can't afford it" is that they need to buy a new boat.
 
Here's another interesting fact about this. They planned this trip so that she would end up sailing through some pretty rough patches just to beat the record.
The Indian Ocean is very rough at this time of year. So it's not THAT surprising that she met the end of her journey there.

People do pay to be rescued, and such an extreme rescue requires extreme payment.  People need to learn to be responsible for their actions.  You do something risky that will either kill you or cost you a lot of money, you pay the price.  You don't dump that on other hard working people when things turn bad.
 
Yea, the family should have to pay.

"Now I know a bunch of coach dwelling PE dropouts might have a hard time comprehending this, but most people who attempt stuff like this do so to challenge themselves and to prove themselves exceptional in their field. The Olympics still happen in a world without cameras. Now its fine if you have zero goals in life and resent anyone who pushes themselves, just understand if you ever talk to real people about this story you'll end up looking like a douchebag if you're shitting on this person. "

/followed 

Why is the family being charged for this? Just because they're wealthy? Most normal people could never pay a bill like this and so it's not fair to expect anyone else (but the taxpayer) to do so. I'm all for responsibility and all that, but this is just plain abuse.