Dutch teenage sailor Laura Dekker 'missing'

by stejeb | December 20, 2009 at 08:50 am

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14 year old Laura Dekker, placed under a supervision order by Dutch courts to prevent her attempting to become the youngest person to sail around the world solo is missing from her father's home in Ultrecht.

Dekker appears to have left her father's home on her own, Utrecht police spokesman Bernhard Jens said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. Her boat, Guppy, is still at its usual berth.

According to a report in Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant that Dekker withdrew euro3,500 ($5,000) from her bank account a few days ago, but Jens made no comment on this.

Dutch broadcaster NOS cited a family spokeswoman as saying that Laura left a letter for her father before disappearing. It did not say what was in the letter.

Dutch police say teenage sailor Laura Dekker - who seeks to be the youngest person to sail solo around the world -has been missing since Friday.

Police say the 14-year-old's boat is moored at its berth and she appears to have left her father's home on her own.

Spokesman Bernhard Jens told the Associated Press news agency no criminal activity was suspected - but the authorities were concerned.

She was placed under state care after a Dutch court blocked her sailing bid.

Miss Dekker had planned to set off on her solo voyage in September, but the Utrecht District Court said concerns for her safety were too grave.

It placed her under state supervision until July 2010, but allowed Miss Dekker to continue living with her father.

Dutch police say they have issued an alert to airports in neighbouring countries for the missing teenager.