Rescuers Search for U.S. Teen Sailor Sunderland in Indian Ocean

Abby Sunderland, a 16-year-old U.S. sailor attempting to circumnavigate the world, has activated an emergency beacon in the middle of the Indian Ocean, triggering an international rescue attempt.

Sunderland experienced trouble after her Wild Eyes vessel encountered winds of up to 60 knots and seas reaching 25 feet (7.6 meters), according to her website. Her team hasn’t been able to contact her since she launched emergency and personal locator beacons yesterday, her father, Laurence Sunderland, told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio in Perth today.

“There couldn’t be a more obscure place to try and rescue someone from,” Sunderland said. “She’s approximately 2,000 miles (3,220 kilometers) from South Africa and 2,000 miles from Australia. I think the keel has been knocked off, probably by a submerged object. The boat’s upside down and she’s inside, in the cocoon waiting for a rescue.”

A Qantas Airways Ltd.-owned Airbus SAS A330-300 was dispatched from Perth airport today to attempt to locate the missing sailor’s vessel, the Melbourne-based airline said in an e-mailed statement, according to Bloomberg Businessweek.

A French vessel is the closest to Sunderland’s perceived location and is being sent to help find her, her father said.

Sunderland, whose brother Zac has completed a solo circumnavigation, set off from Del Rey Yacht Club in California on Jan. 23.

Australian Jessica Watson, also 16, completed a seven-month solo trip around the world when she sailed into Sydney Harbour on May 15.