Taxpayers to foot bill for teen sailor's rescue

Australian taxpayers will be picking up the bill for rescuing US teen sailor Abby Sunderland.

The 16-year-old solo sailor was picked up by a French fishing vessel southwest of Perth yesterday afternoon.

Now the Rudd Government has confirmed that taxpayers are responsible for picking up the tab, news.com.au reported today.

Transport Minister Anthony Albanese told Channel 10 that it was not possible to send the bill to Abby and her supporters.

"That's not the way the law works," he said.

"But we have to put this in context - if there was an Australian lost at sea we would want ... every effort to be made to save that person."

A chartered Qantas plane was sent to search for Abby about 3700km off the coast of western Australia on Friday, reportedly costing $10,000 an hour.

Her yacht, which was demasted in heavy seas on Thursday night, remains adrift.

- NZHERALD STAFF