A teenage girl attempting to sail solo around the world has gone missing after sending out distress signals in the Indian Ocean, according to a CNN affiliate in her hometown.
Abby Sunderland, 16, of Thousand Oaks, California, has not been heard from since losing contact with her family during a storm Thursday, her brother told CNN affiliate KTLA in Los Angeles.
Sunderland activated her emergency beacon locating devices an hour after losing contact with her family, and a rescue effort is under way. The nearest boat is believed to be at least 40 hours away, according to KTLA.
Sunderland celebrated passing the halfway point Monday on her quest to become the youngest person to circumnavigate the globe in a sailboat, according to her website.
Abby Sunderland, 16, looks out from her sailboat, Wild Eyes, as she leaves for her world record attempting journey at the Del Rey Yacht Club, Saturday, Jan 23, 2010, in Marina del Rey, Calif. Sunderland is attempting to be the youngest person to complete a nonstop, unassisted solo-circumnavigation of the globe by sea. (AP Photo/Richard Hartog) (Richard Hartog - AP)
Rescued: In this Saturday photo provided by The Fire and Emergency Services Authority of Western Australia (FESA), the French ship Ile De La Reunion, top left, comes to the rescue of 16-year-old Abby Sunderland and her stricken yacht Wild Eyes in the Indian Ocean after her sailboat became damaged by 30-foot (9-meter) waves. AP/Grant Pipe
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