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A Chinese helicopter has successfully rescued 52 scientists,
tourists and journalists in groups of 12 from research vessel Akademik
Shokalskiy lodged in deep ice 100 nautical miles east of Dumont d’Urville the
French Antarctic base on Île des Pétrels.
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The Russian research ship, which held scientists measuring
the speed of the disappearance of the Antarctic sea ice, had left New Zealand
on November 28th and become stuck in the ice December 24th
in the Southern Ocean off the coast of Antarctica. Once stuck icebreakers from
Australia, France and China made several rescue attempts but turned back due to
impenetrable conditions. With ship rescues abandoned, rescuers turned their
focus towards an airlift rescue effort. Conditions
became flyable on late Thursday; two days after ship rescue efforts were
abandoned.
To pass time during the rescue effort, scientists continued
their research by measuring the temperature and salinity through the ice
cracks. In addition the passengers
disembarked the ship on New Years day to stomp out an impromptu helipad on the
frozen Antarctic sea.
Rescue came from Chinese helicopter off of the Xue Long
icebreaker and delivered passengers to a small transport boat, which transported
passengers back onto supply ship and icebreaker, Aurora Australis.
Airlift began at 5 pm and by 10:16 pm; the Australian Safety
Maritime Authority (ASMA) confirmed that all passengers were safely aboard the
Aurora Australis. All experienced great relief at being rescued after the 10-day
ordeal but none more so than expedition leader Chris Turney. “We’ve made
it to the Aurora Australis safe and sound. A huge thanks to the Chinese and the
(government’s) Australian Antarctic Division for all their hard work,”
Turney tweeted. The Passengers will arrive back in Tasmania mid-January
following a stop in Australia for refueling.
The research vessel’s Russian crew will remain on board
until the ice breaks. ASMA anticipates that this could be several weeks.
During the ordeal the ship was well stocked and neither the
passengers or its crew were ever in any danger.
Read more at Discovery
News.
Rescue image via BBC.
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