• MSN
  • Hotmail
  • More
    • Autos
    • My MSN
    • Video
    • Careers & Jobs
    • Personals
    • Weather
    • Delish
    • Quotes
    • White Pages
    • Games
    • Real Estate
    • Wonderwall
    • Horoscopes
    • Shopping
    • Yellow Pages
    • Local Edition
    • Traffic
    • Feedback
    • Maps & Directions
    • Travel
    • Full MSN Index
  • Bing
  • NBCNews.com
  • TODAY
  • Nightly News
  • Rock Center
  • Meet the Press
  • Dateline
  • msnbc
  • Breaking News
  • Newsvine
  • Home
  • US
  • World
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
  • Health
  • Tech
  • Science
  • Travel
  • Local
  • Weather
  • Recommended: UK mom calms man with blood-soaked knife after suspected deadly terror attack
  • Recommended: Sweden's happy, generous image challenged by four-day riot
  • Recommended: Uranium mine, military barracks attacked by suicide bombers in Niger
  • Recommended: 'Leave our lands': Man knifed to death in suspected London terror attack

First for breaking news and analysis: Compelling world news stories from NBC News journalists. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

  • ↓ About this blog
  • ↓ Archives
    • Icons Email E-mail updates
    • Icons Twitter Follow on Twitter
    • Icons Feed Subscribe to RSS
  • Advertise | AdChoices
    8
    Jun
    2012
    6:21am, EDT

    Solo Brit rower rescued after 'merciless' Pacific storm; another waits for help

    Japan Coast Guard via EPA

    The Japanese Coast Guard rescues British adventurer Sarah Outen from her boat Gulliver about 500 miles east off Japan's northeastern coast, Friday.

    By Ian Johnston, msnbc.com

    A solo Pacific rower caught in a tropical storm for 30 hours was rescued Friday, her support team said on her website, while another stricken solo oarsman waited for help.

    British rower Sarah Outen, 27, said her 23-foot boat, named Gulliver, had been "capsizing, capsizing, capsizing" in the "merciless" storm, leaving her "exhausted," in a phone message that was posted on the Internet.


    "After, I don't know, 32 hours, 30-something hours, of waiting in the roughest, most frightening weather I've ever been in, I'm very happy to say we're close to being taken out of here," she said, shortly before being picked up by a Japanese Coast Guard vessel.

    "I say we, but actually it will just be me, I think, because Gulliver will probably have to stay afloat and look after himself for a while because the seas are currently too rough to be able to pick him up onto the boat," she added.

    Japan Coast Guard via EPA

    Sarah Outen, 27, center, was rescued after her boat got damaged by a tropical storm.

    Japanese Coast Guard had been "wonderful" and "very supportive," she added, also thanking her team and others who offered messages of encouragement that she would get to a "happier, better place."

    A message posted on her website a short time later said that "Sarah is now safe aboard the recovery vessel." 

    Solo Pacific rower hopes for rescue after boat is rolled by tropical storm


    Follow @msnbc_world

    Outen's Pacific row was one leg of a round-the-world journey by bicycle, rowing boat and kayak that started on April 1 last year.

    Japan Coast Guard via EPA

    Sarah Outen's abandoned boat Gulliver floats in front of a ship after she was rescued by the Japan Coast Guard.

    Fellow British Rower Charlie Martell was also awaiting rescue in his boat Blossom, according to the Pacific2012.com website. Martell was approximately 280 miles northeast of Outen. 

    "Strong winds and heavy seas led to the repeated capsize of his boat Blossom," the website said. "She then pitch-poled, causing structural damage and leaving Charlie no choice but to abort the voyage and call for assistance ... Charlie is unhurt and still on-board Blossom."

    "A fast patrol vessel is on its way to Charlie's location and is expected to arrive alongside him at approximately 0200hrs on 9 June," it added.

    More world news from msnbc.com and NBC News:

    • China summit seen as counterpunch to US moves
    • UN: Monitors shot at trying to reach Syria 'massacre' village
    • Tiananmen activist found dead under suspicious circumstances
    • London's hipsters embrace the original creative, Shakespeare, after rare theater find
    • Elderly Italian arrested over deadly school bomb
    • Manhunt for Greek lawmaker who hit female rival on live television
    • Report: Egypt's Mubarak in declining health
    • Mexican presidential candidate becomes poster boy for infidelity

    Follow us on Twitter: @msnbc_world

     

    64 comments

    People who try these extreme stunts should be forced to post bonds to cover the costs if they need to be rescued by government assets. I realize that in this case it is the Japanese footing the bill for rescuing these two, but far too often it has been the US.

    Show more
    Explore related topics: japan, rescue, pacific, solo, coast-guard, featured, rower, sarah-outen, charlie-martell

Browse

  • featured,
  • world-news,
  • syria,
  • china,
  • europe,
  • afghanistan,
  • world,
  • middle-east,
  • israel,
  • pakistan,
  • egypt,
  • iran,
  • updated,
  • russia,
  • uk,
  • north-korea,
  • africa,
  • london,
  • military,
  • assad,
  • france,
  • protest,
  • environment,
  • al-qaida,
  • britain,
  • taliban,
  • italy,
  • nuclear,
  • terrorism,
  • india,
  • asia,
  • germany,
  • japan,
  • vatican,
  • economy,
  • human-rights,
  • crime,
  • south-africa,
  • mexico,
  • pope
Also

Top NBCNews.com headlines

3147,10
Advertise | AdChoices

Archives

  • 2013
    • May (183)
    • April (275)
    • March (432)
    • February (332)
    • January (323)
  • 2012
    • December (332)
    • November (332)
    • October (313)
    • September (360)
    • August (362)
    • July (310)
    • June (351)
    • May (427)
    • April (404)
    • March (427)
    • February (347)
    • January (284)
  • 2011
    • December (357)
    • November (3)

Most Commented

  • 'Leave our lands': Man knifed to death in suspected London terror attack (1150)
  • Sweden stunned by third night of rioting (619)
  • Chef to the stars Miki Nozawa dies following confrontation over unpaid bill (418)
  • UK mom calms man with blood-soaked knife after suspected deadly terror attack (646)
  • North Korea fires more missiles, condemns US and South for 'war measures' (500)
  • 'Love has won out over hate': France becomes 14th country to allow gay marriage (1610)
  • Palestinian kids swept up in wave of Israeli arrests (382)

Other blogs

  • The Body Odd
  • Cosmic Log
  • Red Tape Chronicles
  • PhotoBlog
  • US News
  • Open Channel

NBCNews.com top stories

3147,10
© 2013 NBCNews.com
  • World news on NBCNews.com
  • About us
  • Contact
  • Help
  • Site map
  • Careers
  • Closed captioning
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Advertise