A 16-year-old Californian girl attempting to sail solo around the world is safe and well, her parents said, after a massive search and rescue operation was launched in the Indian Ocean when she triggered distress signals.

Abby Sunderland was last heard from about 6 a.m. Pacific time Thursday, when she broke off a satellite phone call as her yacht Wild Eyes was pounded by huge waves in the remote southern Indian Ocean. She had reported 30-foot swells but was not in distress at that time.

The search for Sunderland involved Australia, U.S. and French rescue authorities sending ships and a commercial airliner to an area about 2,000 miles southeast of Madagascar and 2,000 miles southwest of Australia.

 

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