Story highlights
NEW: Sarah Outen's boat was damaged when it rolled during a tropical storm, her team says
Another solo British rower is also awaiting rescue
Outen has already cycled, kayaked and rowed more than 11,000 miles
The Japanese coast guard has rescued a British woman on a solo round-the-world trip whose boat was damaged when it rolled several times during a tropical storm, her team said Friday.
Sarah Outen was rescued by the coast guard in rough seas Friday afternoon, the London2London team wrote on its website.
“Sarah is now making her way to back to Japan,” the team wrote. “We are awaiting final confirmation of details of Sarah’s arrival in Japan and will let you know more once we have further information.”
A nearby merchant vessel and a coast guard plane kept watch on Outen until the rescue ship arrived.
Sarah Outen: Around the world on two boats and a bike
A small amount of water had gotten into the cabin of Outen’s boat, Gulliver, but she was “bearing up well and demonstrating the strength and resolve that has brought her the huge distance on the journey so far,” the team said before her rescue.
She asked for pancakes, cold orange juice and grapes for her first meal after arriving in Japan.
Planning a round-the-world trip
Coincidentally, a second solo British rower is about 280 miles northeast of Outen’s position and is also awaiting rescue, Outen’s team said.
Charlie Martell departed Japan last month on a quest to row 6,000 miles across the Pacific, his website says.
Outen managed to send updates on Twitter while waiting for rescue, writing, “Trying hard2 smile and breathe calm keep getting interuptd by waves throwing us over.” (sic)
“Focusing on calm trying2 block out wind and waves. Visualizing family and friends pulling us in.”
Sarah Outen: Volunteering with victims of Japanese tsunami
Outen began her solo circumnavigation April 1, 2011, in London with plans to cycle, row and kayak more than 20,000 miles. She hopes to finish in London in autumn 2013.
She is halfway to her goal. Her team says she has already cycled and kayaked more than 11,000 miles, going through countries including Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and China.
CNN’s Kyung Lah in Tokyo contributed to this report.