Antarctica Rescue Operation Underway

The rescue of passengers stranded on board the MV Akademik Shokalskiy, which got stuck in ice off Antarctica on Christmas Eve, has finally begun, with twelve people already safely transported by helicopter to the Australian icebreaker Aurora Australis.

 

Aurora Australis and the Chinese icebreaker Xue Long previously failed to reach the Russian-flagged vessel, so rescuers are now using a helicopter to take off from Xue Long and pick up the passengers by air. Passengers are then transferred to the Aurora Australis.

 

Sea ice conditions on Thursday made it appear that the rescue attempt would have to be delayed.

 

However, on Thursday evening (Australian Eastern Daylight Time) the Australian Maritime Safety Authority said that a patch of ice near the Aurora Australis had been picked out as a landing spot for the helicopter.