Family Saved At Sea Asks Critics To Hold Judgment

SAN DIEGO (AP) — A family lifted from a disabled sailboat hundreds of miles off the Mexican coast with their sick 1-year-old is thanking rescuers and defending their "maritime life."

Eric and Charlotte Kaufman say in a blog posting after returning to San Diego that children have been sailing on boats for a long time and that the "modern cruising family" dates back several decades. They say several other families are currently sailing the same route.

The Kaufmans were on a round-the-world cruise with their 3- and 1-year-old daughters when the younger girl's illness forced them to call for help.

The couple asks critics to reserve judgment. Without elaborating, it says there have been many inaccuracies reported in the news media about their daughter's health, their vessel's condition and the "overall maritime situation."

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