Tag Archives: New Zealand

Dad Hitting Obstacles in Search for Daughter & Crew

#Schooner, 7 sailors left New Zealand port on May 28

BY BILLY GUNN
July 13, 2013

LAFAYETTE — It’s been eight days since authorities called off a search in the South Pacific for Danielle Wright, of Lafayette, and six other sailors, and more than a month since anyone has received a signal that their schooner remains afloat.

Wright’s parents in Lafayette, Ricky and Robin, are beyond worried. The parents cling to the possibility that their free-spirited 19-year-old daughter, who grew up home-schooled on a Greenwell Springs farm, is alive.

“Ricky has never wavered off of, ‘She’s fine, we’re going to find them,’ ” said Robin Wright, Danielle’s mother.

“And I know Danielle is saying ‘My daddy is looking for me.’ I know if she’s out there she’s saying ‘I know my daddy’s coming for me,’ ” Robin Wright said, falling into tears.

[…]

Shelly Rogers, a Wright family friend in Houston, is helping coordinate a new search. She said the Wright family and others have enlisted the help of Texas Equusearch, which looks for missing people. Texas Equusearch also helped in the 2012 search in Acadiana for Mickey Shunick.

Rogers said people interested in helping fund the search can contact ralph.baird@texasequusearch.org.

Rogers and Ricky Wright said the bulk of donations will be used to purchase fuel so pilots with the RCCNZ can resume their search.

Read more: http://theadvocate.com

#Search suspended for missing yacht off Australian coast

There are no further active searches planned to locate the yacht lost last month carrying a Lafayette woman and six other crew members, according to the the Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand.

The 70-foot Nina left New Zealand on May 29, sailing to Australia with seven people on board including Danielle Wright, 19, of Lafayette. It ran into rough weather on June 4.

After nine days of searches, the RCCNZ says there are no further plans to look for the vessel.

Read more:  http://www.katc.com/

#Lafayette student on missing yacht expected in Australia

Written by

Amanda McElfresh

A Lafayette college student is among seven people aboard a yacht that has not been heard from in about three weeks.

Still, Danielle Wright’s father said he is confident his daughter is safe and that the boat is on course.

The “Nina” was built in 1928 and left the Bay of Islands in northern New Zealand on May 29. Authorities said the last communication with the vessel was on June 4, when the “Nina” was about 370 nautical miles west of New Zealand. Steve Rendle, a spokesman for the Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand, said authorities were first alerted to a potential problem on June 14, when concerned family members contacted them.

A storm that same day saw winds gusting up to 68 miles per hour and waves of up to 26 feet.

Read more:  http://www.theadvertiser.com/ | http://www.theage.com.au/

Related articles

• Lost text from missing yacht Nina crew (stuff.co.nz)
• Missing yacht Nina still afloat – father (stuff.co.nz)
• Yacht search concentrates on ocean off North Cape (radionz.co.nz)
• Yacht search covers 700k square km (nzherald.co.nz)
• Final SMS: Sails ‘shredded’ on missing US boat (worldnews.nbcnews.com)