Speaking of payment.
It seems that the parents are responsible for paying for their daughter's rescue, estimated to be $300,000.
It makes sense that someone pays. the French fishing boat is spending their money to get her to a port. They are not fishing, so they are losing money. Besides, I heard that the French Captain went overboard during the rescue attempt (his crew fished him out of the water before he was injured).
The parents are not sure how they are going to pay for all of this.
I just hope this gives the next group who tries this something to think about.
so she just arrived on Reunion Island.
"According to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, any ship of any nation in the vicinity of a distress call is required to render assistance at no cost." - wikipedia.
The search alone cost the australian taxpayers AUS$300,000. Rescue cost at this point unknown (although it almost cost the French skipper his life) but 6 days for the
Ile de la Reunion fishing boat to take her to the Kerguelen Islands cannot be cheap, followed by 8 days on the French patrol boat
Osiris to ferry her to Reunion Island which also will not be cheap. Add in the cost of the Global Express jet to coordinate the rescue.
That is one massive bill, to which her family are obliged to contribute ... nothing.
Her mother suggested that the bill be sent to the US government (even though they have no obligation to pay for it either.) I imagine that as many of you are US taxpayers you might have ... um ... opinions about this.
You might think at this point that that the family had leeched enough from the taxpayers of foreign nations to subsidise their little stunt ... but no.
Not content to just get their daughter back, they decided they wanted the boat back as well, so they set up a public appeal to raise the US$130,000 required to salvage it. bewilderingly they managed to raise (ie. blag) $2460 from ... well I dont know who would be dumb enough to throw money in their direction.
Abby is now planning to write a book. I can guess how much of the proceeds will be used to compensate all of the people who have paid for her little trip.
despite the volume of typing above I'm ... speechless