After 25 hours with no contact from Abby Sunderland, the teen who was feared lost at sea was found safe in the middle of the Indian Ocean. INSIDE EDITION has the details of her dangerous journey.
She's alive!
16-year-old Abby Sunderland has been found safe and sound drifting in her disabled sailboat "Wild Eyes" in the middle of the Indian Ocean, 2000 miles from land in either direction.
"Breaking news on young adventurer Abby Sunderland," Harry Smith said on The Early Show.
On the Today show, Meredith Vieira said, "Abby Sunderland was found alive and well overnight."
"Abby is fine!" reads her website. She was attempting to become the youngest person ever to sail solo around the world.
A monster storm with 25-foot waves had clobbered her sailboat, tossing it on its side like a toy and snapping off the mast.
For 25 tense hours, no one heard from Abby.
"We knew the boat hadn't sunk, we were pretty sure she wasn't in the life raft," a family spokesperson said.
Outside Abby's home in Thousand Oaks, California, there is a homemade sign made by neighbors reading "Thank God Abby's Alive" surrounded by nearly a dozen pink balloons.
Her parents haven't had a chance to talk to their daughter yet because her satellite phone has been disabled, but they never gave up hope that Abby would make it through this ordeal unharmed.
Abby's parents and her older brother Zac were interviewed on the morning news shows.
"Abby is quite a calm person, quite level-headed so I think she knows the rescue is on its way," her brother Zac said.
Her father responded to critics who say he should never have allowed his 16-year-old daughter to make such a dangerous voyage by herself.
"Let's face is life is dangerous. How many teenagers die in cars every year? Should we stop every teenager from driving a car?"
It's a happy ending after the world held its breath for this brave teenage sailor.
