Normally, I anxiously await for the World Championships or Olympics with great excitement, but this year, I feel a little bit sad as a friend of mine has a missing child lost at sea.
Gold medals and world records are great, but for a few minutes, please take a backseat and read the following letter.
The historic schooner Nina has been missing since June 4 with an undeliverable text message sent out on July 4.
Danielle Wright, 18, is the daughter of Ricky and Robin Wright of Lafayette, LA (USA).
Letter from Ricky and Robin Wright
As many of you know, we continue to hold out hope that our beautiful daughter, Danielle, and the other 6 crewmen aboard the historic 70’ sailing yacht Nina will be rescued soon. They have been lost in the Tasman Sea for over 60 days now, sailing from Opua, New Zealand to Newcastle, Australia.
We DO NOT believe that Nina sank. We have proof that she made it through the first two storms. The third storm wasn’t as bad, but probably took out their mast. If they tried to send up emergency signals, either weather conditions hindered transmission, or no other planes or vessels were in the area to hear their signals, or their batteries ran out, got wet, etc. NZ Coast Guard searched for boat remains and debris to prove that Nina sank (many items would have floated out had she gone down), but found nothing. Again, that gives us great hope that they survived and are desperately waiting to be rescued.
This week we finally received much needed data from NZ that allowed three different highly qualified teams of experts to analyze currents, drift patterns, and weather conditions based on the last undelivered SAT message sent from Nina. Previously New Zealand searched east, and we searched west, but we now know with relative certainty that they are drifting north. With this new information, we have a concrete game plan to search 300,000 sq. miles of ocean pinpointed by all three analysts.
Many of you have asked how you can help. We need to raise over $300,000 immediately. To be blunt, if we don’t come up with the money right away, we won’t be able to fund this rescue.
Ricky and I have pulled monies out of our savings and Danielle’s college fund. We have increased the limits on credit cards. Our family and friends have been extremely supportive. If Ricky and I, with the help of Texas Equusearch, didn’t stand on our unshakable belief that we must do all within our power to rescue the Nina crew, absolutely nothing would be happening today. Perhaps because we lived on a sailboat and understand this situation from personal experience rather than just reading negative news reports makes the distinct difference in our attitudes.
Danielle and her mates have obviously gone through boat rations at this point, and are living off fresh fish and rain water. They are getting weaker as each day goes by. Danielle didn’t have any extra weight to lose on her 105 lb. body. Every bite I take, I wish I could be feeding her instead. Every hot shower brings sadness as I realize how cold and dirty she it. My daughter is not giving up, and we won’t, either.
And so we ask for your help in three simple ways:
- PRAY for God’s continued guidance and direction, and His provision for Nina survivors.
- PASS this message on to all of your contacts, your church, etc.
- PRESS your ink pen to your checkbook and make a donation. Make checks payable to Texas Equusearch, a 501C non-profit organization that searched for Natalie Holloway and Casey Anthony’s little girl. Send checks for $100 or more because volunteers are being overwhelmed with smaller donations. If you can’t send $100, ask your friends and neighbors to chip in, thus helping us spread the word!
Mail checks to 106 Canterbury Road, Lafayette, LA 70503 and we will forward to Equusearch, or go online at www.texasequusearch.org to donate by credit card or Paypal. Reference your donation to Nina Search.
Please don’t delay in your actions. We are running out of time!!! Thank you for standing and believing with us that we, with God’s help, will be bringing Danielle home soon!
Ricky and Robin Wright
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