Closest boat to Abby is 40 hours away

Abby Sunderland's mother tells the Ventura County Star that the emergency beacon signals from the Indian Ocean give them hope she is still on her boat, and that a third beacon that would indicate the boat is submerged has not gone off. Rescue efforts, however, face some obstacles. It's still dark and planes can't begin looking for Sunderland until about 6 p.m. our time, according to the Star.

“We are just perplexed,” [Marianne] Sunderland said. “We can’t figure out what happened. Maybe it was some rogue wave.”

The nearest boat that will check on Abby is about 40 hours away and another is 2 1/2 days away, Sunderland said.

One of the main fears is that Abby could be wet in the cold and dark. Hypothermia is a possibility, Sunderland said.

“It’s very cold down there,” Sunderland said. “She does have survival gear but we’d rather she didn’t have to wait 40 hours.”

Previously: Rescue efforts underway for Abby Sunderland