Air National Guard Rescues One-Year-Old at Sea

I am hesitant to weigh in on the current news item of a one-year-old needing to be “rescued” off a sail boat hundreds of miles at sea when she took ill. “What were the parent thinking of” and “Totally irresponsible” are some of the many comments. One person wrote: “I saw this coming — I saw the potential for every bit of it, I don’t understand what they were thinking to begin with. I’m sorry, I don’t even like to take my kids in a car ride that would be too dangerous, and it’s like taking them out into the big ocean?”

No surprise I have a different take. I grew up with no cycling helmets…it was okay to ride in the back of a pickup truck, and somewhat related, there was no such thing as a Breathalyzer. I have written that “life is not without risk…it’s just a matter of how much are you willing to take and what will you do to prepare for it.” Are we to become a nation of wimps and those that are faint of heart? Will we lose our spirit of adventure or challenge, so that no one climbs mountains or even hikes a trail for fear of falling to one’s death or being mauled by a bear? Certainly I am in favor of using technology to enhance safety, but we have so much of it we have to draw the line somewhere – I am in favor of Breathalyzers. But in my sailing of more than 100,000 miles, I have met many young families with children of all ages being home schooled on yachts. My experience is that they grow up independent, self-reliant, well-educated, very polite and respectful, extremely capable and unafraid of risk – just what I like to see in my children.

However, there are limits, and I support that there should be limits to how old you must be to take part in certain activities, such as flying a plane solo across the country or attempting to swim the English Channel. But let us have as few limits as possible and encourage real life, not “reality TV” adventurism. I say “good luck” to those parents and “don’t give up.” They will have learned and they will prepare even better next time – I know for that’s what I am doing with Kiwi Spirit. And yes, thanks to all the rescue services that were involved – a great piece of training for them.