The 52 passengers rescued from a Russian expedition vessel that became stuck in an Antarctic ice floe over the holidays have reached Australia safe and sound. The passengers began disembarking the Aurora Australis icebreaker Wednesday morning in Hobart, Tasmania three weeks after their dramatic Southern Ocean rescue. The 52 people, mostly scientists and tourists from … [Read more...]
Thick Ice Forces Helicopter Rescue for Passengers of Ship Stuck Off Antarctica
Thick ice and weather will prevent icebreakers from reaching the stricken MV Akademik Shokalskiy expedition ship stuck in ice off Antarctica, forcing a helicopter rescue for the passengers of the stricken vessel. An update from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority’s (AMSA) Rescue Coordination Centre late Friday (1 PM AEDT) said that the Aurora Australis icebreaker … [Read more...]
Blizzard Halts Icebreaker’s Bid To Rescue Stranded Ship Off Antarctica
By Maggie Lu Yueyang SYDNEY, Dec 30 (Reuters) - An Antarctic blizzard has halted an Australian icebreaker's bid to reach a Russian ship trapped for a week with 74 people onboard, rescuers said on Monday. The Aurora Australis had to return to open waters about 18 nautical miles from the stranded Akademik Shokalskiy because of poor visibility, the Australian Maritime Safety … [Read more...]