[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 89 (Tuesday, June 15, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1103]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              IN TRIBUTE TO THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ELTON GALLEGLY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 15, 2010

  Mr. GALLEGLY. Madam Speaker, I rise in tribute to the Commonwealth of 
Australia and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) for its 
quick and effective response to locating and rescuing Abby Sunderland, 
a 16-year-old sailor from Thousand Oaks, California, whose sailboat was 
severely damaged in the Indian Ocean.
  Abby was attempting to sail solo around the world when rough seas 
tore the mast from her boat, Wild Eyes, rendering cell phone 
communication with her sail team impossible. Abby activated two 
distress beacons, whose signal was picked up by the AMSA's Rescue 
Coordination Centre.
  At the time, Wild Eyes was in the search and rescue region of the 
Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre at La Reunion, which is operated by 
France. However, AMSA immediately offered assistance. La Reunion asked 
for air search assistance and an AMSA crew departed from Perth at first 
light in a QANTAS A-330 Airbus passenger aircraft.
  Before the aircraft arrived on the scene, Abby's beacons indicated 
Wild Eyes had drifted into AMSA's search and rescue region. She was 
spotted at about 4 p.m. Australian time (11 p.m. PDT) about 2,000 
nautical miles from western Australia. The AMSA crew made radio contact 
and found that Abby was alive and well, although with some scrapes and 
bruises.
  AMSA then coordinated with La Reunion to have a ship retrieve her 
from Wild Eyes. About 40 hours after Abby activated her beacons, the 
French fishing vessel, Ile De La Reunion had Abby safely on board. AMSA 
had dispatched a Global Express aircraft to the scene, which provided 
top cover during Abby's transfer to the fishing vessel and served as a 
communications relay between Wild Eyes and Ile De La Reunion.
  Media reports this morning stated that the crew of Ile De La Reunion 
delivered Abby to the remote Kerguelen Island yesterday afternoon, 
where she will catch a French patrol boat for the next leg of her 
journey home.
  Madam Speaker, while we are grateful to the French fishermen and 
French authorities for their role in Abby's rescue, it is the 
Australian government that took lead in ensuring she was found and 
rescued. I personally called Australian ambassador to the United 
States, His Excellency Kim Beazley, AC, on Friday to thank him for 
Australia's role in locating and rescuing one of my constituents at 
considerable time and cost to them. I would also like to publicly thank 
the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, the QANTAS crew, and all the 
support personnel who made Abby's rescue possible. I know my colleagues 
join me in thanking our ally and friend for her quick response to one 
of our citizens in distress.

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