Oars stolen in Ohio from youngest Atlantic rower

CHAGRIN FALLS, Ohio (AP) — 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 vehicle 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 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.