There are fears for the safety of a 16-year-old girl who is attempting to sail solo around the world.
A rescue effort has been launched after contact was lost with Abby Sunderland in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Madagascar, the ABC reports.
Australian rescue authorities are believed to be involved in efforts to locate Sunderland's yacht, and a plane was expected to reach the search zone in the Indian Ocean later today
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Sunderland was experiencing huge seas in the Indian Ocean in her yacht Wild Eyes.
Sunderland's father, Laurence Sunderland told ABC radio that he last spoke to his daughter at 0400 (AEST) today via satellite phone. Soon after the call American search and rescue authorities informed him they had picked up a signal from her emergency beacon (EPIRB).
"She had quite a boisterous night at 60 knots," Mr Sunderland told ABC. "She was knocked down three times."
The teen sailor set sail on her round-the-world quest in Januray.
