Some People Want to be Alone

[digitS']

I wonder if one can say that millions of American taxpayers participated in that sailboat family rescue?

Seems like the participation of the paratroopers and the USS Vandegrift might suggest to the father who said what is in the title that such notions don't always work out as imagined.

Steve

 

[lesa]

No kidding, Steve! I was thinking that if you wanted to plan a trip like that- fine. But, leave the very young children at home. Seemed irresponsible to me...

 

[digitS']

I tried editing that 1st post but WiFi in a soopermarket parking lot doesn't always work too well.

Not "paratroopers," people trained in rescue.

"Rebel Heart" is the name of the boat. That reminds me of my neighbor Rebel. Believe it or not, rumor in the neighborhood is that Rebel is his legal name. Laughable.

Steve

 

[canesisters]

I don't get all the press over what terrible parents these people are.
Now - before anyone gets all fired up - let me say that the ONLY thing I've heard (other than the people calling them terrible parents) is that they were on a long sailing trip, the baby got sick, the boat down and they called for help. Please feel free to fill me in if I've missed something.
I don't see any difference between this situation and a couple that allow their baby to live at home on a ranch with an hour drive to the nearest neighbor and 2+ hrs to the nearest hospital, and an old pickup. Baby gets sick, try to treat at home, baby gets worse, head to town. Truck breaks down, call 911 and pray for rescue.
I mean... did they set sail with a sick baby? That would be something different.
Just sayn'.

 

[lesa]

I wouldn't say they were "terrible" parents, but it seems like the kind of trip that might be better tackled without very small children. They weren't out for a casual sail- they were trying to sail around the world...

 

[Ridgerunner]

Some people raise their kids in a sterile cocoon. They don’t allow them to get dirty, have contact with others that might have germs, and are constantly wiping them down with disinfectants. They are not allowed to come into contact with anyone that might have an idea different from the parents. Total physical, mental, social, and emotional isolation. My kids were not raised that way.

Others go to the other extreme. Kids don’t slow them down while they live life to the fullest. No challenge is too great to drag the kids along. How many great people have been raised by parents like this, parents that expose them to everything life has to offer? There are no boundaries. No challenge is too great. I didn’t quite go to that extreme either but my kids developed good immune systems and have had a few “adventures”.

Personally I would not have attempted a trip like that with kids that age, but I’m not going to say they acted that irresponsibly. Wasn’t there a recent story about a 16 year old girl taking a long sailing trip on her own where she had to be rescued?

 

[digitS']

What got the "terrible parents" story was the mother's bother saying that to the press. He also pointed out that rescue would have been even more difficult had they gotten a few days further out. And yes, it was reported that the child was sick before they left. But, it wasn't just the child's illness. The boat was adrift.

My idea is that the dad, if the quote is correct, screwed up pretty badly both by action of taking such young kids and by thinking that months alone in the Pacific was such a reasonable choice.

Everyone makes mistakes and we make mistakes with our children but I live where the "rugged individualist" is constantly being rescued, often with great difficulty, on some mountain or river.

Maybe these folks can do as good a job as any raising their children. Maybe selfish behavior isn't what is being demonstrated yet again here. There may, however, be an important lesson for them to learn this week.

Steve

 

[so lucky]

Seems like there also was a story of a little boy, 8 or so, that has already climbed Everest and some of the other tallest peaks. I bet there are going to be some bored, jaded adults around, who have already done everything exciting by the time they are 20.

 

[bobm]

We, the ones who are the owners of the military aircraft and ship will now send this couple a bill for the medical service and rescue. See how this couple reacts to that !

 

[Ridgerunner]

Will we? Has that been published? It's always possible. I haven't heard one way or the other.

There was a bit on the national news last night explaining that maritime law and tradition requires rescue of someone in trouble. Occasionally it happens, but generally they are not charged. They don't want people in trouble to have to worry about whether they can afford to be rescued or should just go ahead and die whether or not poor judgment got them in that position to start with. Maritime tradition is different from land tradition. I know that if I have to call an ambulance to come get me I have to pay. But if a child is lost in the wilderness around here, they will search for them without charging the parents.

I did a quick look at statistics. The one I found said that in 2012 fiscal year the US Coast Guard saved 4,027 lives with 1,946 dead or unaccounted for out of 19,788 cases. This is just the Coast Guard but might give an indication of how common this type of thing really is. The link:

http://www.rita.dot.gov/bts/sites/r...ansportation_statistics/html/table_02_49.html