You may have heard of Laura Dekker before. She’s a 14-year-old Dutch girl with hopes of becoming the youngest person to attempt a solo circumnavigation of the globe. Concerned about her welfare, the Dutch government barred Dekker from beginning what it stated was an “undeniably daring and risky” voyage in order to carry out psychological examinations to determine her preparedness. The decision created quite a controversy, sparking disputes between supporters, including her father, and doubters.

Since late October, Dekker has been ordered to remain in Port and has been under court order to obtain permission before departing on any trip, regardless of mode.

Well, over the weekend, the young Dutch was reported missing by relatives and it was discovered that $5,000 dollars was withdrawn from her account. Although her boat, Guppy, was still in Port, Dekker was nowhere to be found until a woman contacted authorities after spotting Dekker in St. Maarten in the Dutch Achilles. She is now back in the Netherlands, but why and how she managed to flee is in question.

It could be that Dekker was attempting to chase her dream of sailing the world and fled to the Caribbean to do so. Having her dream shattered and the onslaught of media attention could have also been the motivating factor to escape the Netherlands. For further developments, check the Times Online, who’s been reporting on the situation.

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