Teenage solo sailor Abby Sunderland feared lost in a storm in the Indian Ocean is alive and well, Australian officials said Friday, according to dpa. There were grave fears for her safety when 16-year-old set off emergency beacons Thursday after her yacht was battered by 6-metre swells and 90-kilometre-per-hour winds. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), which chartered an Airbus for the 4-hour flight to the search area 3,600 kilometres from the Western Australia state capital of Perth, said AMSA officials aboard had spotted the boat and spoken to the American adventurer over VHF radio. They have given her co-ordinates to rescue vessels steaming to her aid. AMSA said the carbon-fibre craft, Wild Eyes, was seaworthy. According to AMSA spokeswoman Carly Lusk, the nearest ship is expected to get to the rescue zone within 24 hours.
