Long distance rower Shaun Quincey has been attempting to row across the wild and turbulent Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand for a little over a month now. The 25-year old was hoping to follow in his father's footsteps and become just the second person to successfully cross that body of water under his own power. But strong storms have been battering that area today, and earlier he activated his emergency rescue beacon, calling for help. At this time, it unknown whether or not he can continue the expedition, but he is said to be alive and well, huddled inside the cabin of his boat.
Back on January 20th, Shaun set out from Australia on his epic journey across the Tasman, a journey that his father Colin Quincey successfully made back in 1977. The elder Quincey remains the only person to complete that 1187 mile journey solo, but Shaun had hoped to duplicate the feat. He has been doing quite well in fact, and had recently passed the halfway point when the bad weather set in.
According to reports, Shaun's boat, the Tasman Trespasser II, was flipped over twice in the night, while the storms raged around him. His home team believes that he may have lost his oars, water ballasts, and possibly other gear as well. They have been in contact with the ocean rower however, and he is said to be safe inside the cabin, and waiting for morning to check out the condition of his boat and gear before deciding if he can continue or not.
Stay tuned for updates on this one. Any time the emergency beacon goes off, it's always a bit scary. It's good to know Shaun is alive and well, and lets keep our fingers crossed that he stays that way.
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