AMERICAN SOLO ROWER RESCUED IN ATLANTIC

AFTER THRASHING BY HURRICANE DANIELLE

NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN – (Sept. 7, 1998) – American solo rower Tori Murden safely escaped a furious Atlantic Ocean today after international emergency teams pinpointed her position, and asked a merchant vessel to rescue her about 950 miles west of Brest, France.

Murden boarded the bulk carrier Independent Spirit about 2 p.m. GMT today, ending her attempt to become the first American and first woman to row across an ocean alone and unsupported. Murden had been alone at sea for 85 days since departing Nags Head, N.C., on June 14.

Over the last two days, Hurricane Danielle mercilessly battered Murden’s 23-foot rowboat, the sector no limits™ American Pearl, with 30-foot waves that caused 11 capsizes last night. One wave caused the rowboat to be "pitch poled," tumbling Murden around the inside of her small cabin, and causing trauma to the athlete’s head and shoulder.

The sector no limits™ American Pearl is designed to self-right and self-bale after capsizing.

"I felt like I went 12 rounds with Mike Tyson," the 35-year-old rower calmly told one organizer via satellite telephone. "My entire body was bruised, and I was afraid I broke my shoulder."

At 8 p.m. GMT today, Murden’s specific medical conditions were unknown. However she was comfortable, fully coherent and in good spirits aboard the Independent Spirit, which is due to arrive the U.S. this weekend.

According to various reports, Murden’s emergency signal was received at 4:45 a.m. GMT today. According to the Press Association in London, an RAF aircraft was dispatched from Scotland and soon spotted Murden "standing aboard her rowing boat." The Falmouth, U.K. coast guard asked the Independent Spirit, a Cypress registered bulk carrier on route to Philadelphia, to change course to answer the distress signal.

The vessel arrived Murden’s position early afternoon today (GMT). Sea conditions were reported to be rough with gale force six winds and seas to 12 feet. Attempts to salvage the rowboat failed due to sea conditions.

One week ago, Hurricane Bonnie, by then downgraded to a tropical low, passed within 150 miles of the sector no limits™ American Pearl. Bonnie’s high seas caused Murden to capsize at least twice.

But Hurricane Danielle picked up intensity because the storm never hit land. National Weather Service meteorologists in the U.S. had predicted Danielle would strike Tori with winds of 40-50 knots and 20-30-foot seas.

Murden was just five weeks, or 950 nautical miles from Brest, France – her target destination. For 85 days she rowed more than 2,600 nautical miles, completing two-thirds of the projected journey.

Murden is sponsored by Sector Sport Watches, as part of the company’s "No Limits" philosophy. Providing ongoing support and technical assistance to extreme athletes and adventurers worldwide, Sector encourages individuals who dare test the outer limits of human endurance.

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04 September 1998

Contact: Shannon Matus or Susan Barnes

Communications West

1426 Eighteenth Street, San Francisco, Calif. 94107

Telephone: 415-863-7220

Fax: 415-621-2907

E-mail: smatus@comwest.com sbarnes@comwest.com