China icebreaker close to trapped Antarctic ship

[Nan Yang]

BBC News - China icebreaker close to trapped Antarctic ship

A scientific mission ship, trapped in dense pack ice off East Antarctica since Christmas Day, is close to being rescued as a Chinese icebreaker nears.

The crew can see the Snow Dragon icebreaker, which will try to cut a path through the ice allowing the research vessel to reach open water.

The Russian Academic Shokalskiy ship has 74 on board and is being used by the Australasian Antarctic Expedition.

They are following the route explorer Douglas Mawson travelled a century ago.

One of the leaders of the expedition, Chris Turney, tweeted an image of the Snow Dragon icebreaker on the horizon as it approached the ship.

'Like lancing a wound'
He described to the BBC how it was opening up a channel in order to help the stranded vessel get out of the ice.

"It looks like it's doing well at the moment which is great news. It's basically like lancing a wound. So, it's trying to get in, opening up a channel for us to get out.

 

[Nan Yang]

Antarctic ship rescue hits a snag as ice-breaker thwarted by extreme conditions

By Alexander Smith, NBC News contributor
Rescuers trying to reach a ship trapped by sea ice in Antarctica were themselves thwarted by thick "multi-layered" ice more than 6.5 feet deep Friday.

The 74 passengers aboard the stricken MV Akademik Shokalskiy have been trapped in the ice for three days and were hoping a Chinese ice-breaking ship sent to rescue them would arrive Friday.

But the Snow Dragon has had its own progress delayed by the extreme Antarctic conditions and is now not expected to reach the Shokalskiy until 4 a.m. local time on Saturday (12 p.m. ET Friday).


Expedition leader professor Chris Turney told NBC News the Snow Dragon had encountered "multi-layered ice, two-plus meters thick (6.5 feet)."

He said his ship was in regular contact with Snow Dragon, which was "finding it heavy going" but "pushing on" through the difficult conditions.

Source

Antarctic ship rescue hits a snag as ice-breaker thwarted by extreme conditions - World News

 

[Nan Yang]

Antarctic rescue of Akademik Shokalskiy ship completed

BBC News - Antarctic rescue of Akademik Shokalskiy ship completed