Van stolen in Ohio containing oars used by youngest person to row solo across the Atlantic

Oars stolen in Ohio from youngest Atlantic rower

CHAGRIN FALLS, Ohio — The Ohio woman who became the youngest person to row across the Atlantic alone says oars used in her feat have been lost in a car theft.

Katie Spotz of suburban Cleveland says the gear was in her 2000 Dodge Caravan when it was stolen Monday from outside a home.

The minivan also held other belongings, including a bicycle she used on a 3,300-mile ride across America in memory of her grandmother.

Spotz was 22 in March when she completed her solo row from Senegal in Africa to Guyana (gee-AH’-nah) in South America. The trip took more than two months.

She tells WJW-TV that after she discovered the van was gone she called friends to see if they were pulling a prank on her.

Spotz estimates the value of the van and its contents at nearly $10,000.