THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — A family spokesman says searchers
have contacted a 16-year-old Southern California girl who was
feared lost at sea and she is alive and well.
William
Bennett said late Thursday night that searchers aboard
an Airbus A330 spotted Abby Sunderland's boat in an upright
position and made contact with her via radio.
Speaking
outside the family's Thousand Oaks home, Bennett said
Sunderland said she was inside the boat and doing fine with a space
heater and at least two weeks' worth of food.
Bennett said
the mast had broken off the disabled boat.
He said a fishing
vessel was en route to pick her up. The vessel
is expected to reach her in about 40 hours.
Sunderland, who had been
attempting a solo sail around the world, was feared in trouble Thursday
thousands of miles from land in the frigid, heaving southern Indian
Ocean after her emergency beacons began signaling and satellite phone
communication was lost.
An international effort to rescue
Sunderland began.
Qantas airlines said in a statement that an
Airbus A330 tasked by the safety authority took off at 7:53 a.m. Friday,
Perth time.