Rescue operation in the Antarctic
Following failed attempts by three icebreakers to reach the research vessel ‘MV Akademik Shokalskiy’ trapped in the Antarctic ice, its 54 stranded passengers were rescued by helicopter on Thursday.
The P&O Maritime icebreaker Aurora Australis, which had been making attempts to reach the stricken vessel, received the passengers who had been transferred by helicopter to an ice flow, from which they were transported by Fast Rescue Craft to the icebreaker in open water. The Aurora Australis is currently deployed as an icebreaking research and resupply vessel supporting the Australian Antarctic Division’s Antarctic programme.
A helicopter from the Chinese flagged vessel, Xue Long, was used to rescue passengers. Meanwhile, the 24 crew of the MV Akademik Shokalskiy will remain onboard the vessel.
MV Akademik Shokalskiy left New Zealand on 28 November on a private expedition to commemorate the 100th anniversary of an Antarctic journey led by famed Australian explorer Douglas Mawson.
It became trapped on 24 December 100 nautical miles east of French Antarctic station Dumont D’Urville and about 1,500 nautical miles south of Australia’s southern island state of Tasmania.
The rescue operation is being coordinated by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority‘s (AMSA) Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC Australia).
Rescue operations commenced on Christmas day morning AEDT after the Falmouth Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in the UK received a distress signal from the vessel. Responsibility was then passed to RCC Australia which is in charge of SAR operations in the area.
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