The Akademik Shokalsky has 74 people aboard - a 22-strong Russian crew and 52 passengers, some of them researchers from the Australian Antarctic Expedition and others being accompanying travelers.
A decision was taken earlier that the crew would stay behind on the ship and the passengers would be evacuated - first airlifted to the Chinese ship Xue Long positioned close enough to the Akademik Shokalsky and then taken by barge to the Australian icebreaker Aurora Australis, currently in the same area.
“The Chinese ships is separated by a distance of 11.8 miles /about 22 km/ from us, while the distance between us and the Australians is 14.4 miles /about 27 km/,” Capt Kiselyov said. “They are so far staying within the ice cover zone and are trying to get out of it into clear water. Evacuation will begin only after that.”
“On the basis of information we had at 03:30 Moscow Standard Time /23:30 GMT Wednesday/ I think the evacuation most probably won’t begin today although the situation may change very quickly,” he said.
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Chief of rescue operations at the Australian Maritime Safety Authority /AMSA/, John Young, voiced the hope the operation would begin shortly. He said, however, along with it that a decision of the exact time for the start of the evacuation was to be taken by the captains of the three ships.
AMSA spokeswoman Lisa Martin told Itar-Tass the helicopter is expected to make a total of seven flights to the Akademik Shokalsky - five flights to evacuate people and two more flights to take away their luggage and equipment.
Each cruise of the helicopter will last 45 or so minutes and the whole operation will thus last about 5 hours.
AMSA points out a considerable improvement of weather in the area of the planned operation, with wind slowing down and the visibility improving noticeably.
At the same time, AMSA staff members decline to say when the passengers might return to Australia. John Young said he hoped his might take place in mid-January.
When Itar-Tass asked Captain Kiselyov why the crew of the Akademik Shokalsky had refused to evacuate, he said: “Nothing is threatening the ship and it’s functioning in the scheduled mode but we’ve found ourselves in the grips of ice.”
“We hope for a change of the direction of wind because we’d be able to get out of here independently,” Capt Kiselyov said. “Also, we hope to get assistance from the U.S. icebreaker Polar Star, which will cope with our ice without any problem.”
John Young told Itar-Tass the Akademik Shokalsky is out of danger and the options for further handling of the situation around the ship do exist but they seem to be far less efficacious than evacuation.
http://en.itar-tass.com/russia/713639
2/1/14
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Antarctic ship helicopter rescue begins.....
ReplyDeleteThe helicopter evacuation of a Russian research ship stranded in Antarctica was launched Jan. 2 after a series of stalled attempts due to bad weather and sea ice.
"The Chinese helicopter has arrived at the Shokalskiy. It's 100 percent we're off! A huge thanks to all," tweeted expedition leader Chris Turney.
Turney's post was accompanied by a video showing a red helicopter from the Chinese icebreaker Xue Long touching down on a landing pad marked out on the ice beside the Akademik Shokalskiy, which has been stranded in pack ice in Antarctica since December 24.
An orange-suited rescue crew from the Chinese ship disembarked onto the ice before the helicopter again took off.
"If it all goes well we'll be off in about an hour's time," Turney said on the film.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said it was still awaiting formal confirmation from the Xue Long that the rescue operation had begun.
AMSA estimates that the rescue of the ship's 52 passengers, which include scientists, tourists and journalists, will take at least five hours, depending on the weather.
The group will be moved in five flights of up to 12 passengers, with each return journey to the Xue Long some 10 nautical miles distant expected to take 45 minutes.
Under the aerial rescue plan outlined by AMSA earlier Jan. 2 the passengers will be moved from the Xue Long to Australia's Antarctic supply ship the Aurora Australis via a barge.
It will be some weeks before the passengers reach dry land, with the Australis needing to travel via Australia's Casey Antarctic base to refuel.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/antarctic-ship-helicopter-rescue-begins.aspx?pageID=238&nID=60444&NewsCatID=359
2/1/14
Antarktis-Expedition: Helikopter ist eingetroffen....
ReplyDeleteDie Bergung der Passagiere des in der Antarktis festsitzenden Forschungsschiffs "Akademik Schokalskij" ist angelaufen. Der Hubschraubereinsatz habe begonnen, so Expeditionsleiter Chris Turney am Donnerstag. Zuletzt waren zwei Versuche gescheitert, das seit dem Heiligen Abend mit 74 Menschen an Bord im Eis feststeckende Schiff mit Eisbrechern zu befreien........http://diepresse.com/home/panorama/welt/1512232/AntarktisExpedition_Helikopter-ist-eingetroffen?from=rss
2/1/13
Helicopter rescue begins for passengers stuck in Antarctic ice....
ReplyDelete(Reuters) - A Chinese helicopter has reached a Russian ship stranded in Antarctica for nine days and is beginning to pick up 52 passengers who spent Christmas and the New Year trapped in ice, the expedition leader said on Thursday.
The helicopter from the Chinese icebreaker Snow Dragon will take all the passengers from the ice-bound Akademik Shokalskiy and transfer them to an Australian Antarctic supply ship, the Aurora Australis.
Chris Turney, the leader of the private expedition, said conditions had improved enough to mount the rescue after days of blizzards, fog and shifting sea ice.
"The Chinese helicopter has arrived @ the Shokalskiy. It's 100% we're off! A huge thanks to all," Turney posted on Twitter.
Television pictures showed the helicopter checking out a makeshift landing pad on the ice then apparently picking up the first group of 12 passengers.
The Russian ship left New Zealand on November 28 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of an Antarctic journey led by famed Australian explorer Douglas Mawson.
It became trapped on December 24, 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.
Everyone on board was believed to be in good condition and they were never in any great danger.
The Chinese ship got within sight of the Akademik Shokalskiy on Saturday, but turned back after failing to break through the ice, which was more than 3 meters (10 feet) thick in some place.
Two other vessels, Australia's Aurora Australis and a French flagged ship, also tried to help but failed to reach the ship because of strong wind and heavy snow.
Earlier on Thursday, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority which is coordinating the rescue, had said the rescue had again been thwarted by ice and bad weather.
(Additional reporting by Lincoln Feast; Editing by Michael Perry and Robert Birsel)
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/01/02/us-antarctica-ship-rescue-idUSBREA000JX20140102?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews
2/1/14
Comienza la evacuación del barco ruso atrapado en el hielo antártico....
ReplyDeleteUn helicóptero comenzó a trasladar al pasaje hacia el rompehielos chino Xue Long, donde después serán transportados en una barcaza hacia el rompehielos australiano Aurora Australis.
"El helicóptero chino llegó a @theshokalskiy. Nos vamos 100 %. Muchas gracias a todos", dijo el líder de la expedición, Chris Turney a través de su cuenta de Twitter, citado por EFE.
El plan de rescate prevé que los 52 pasajeros, entre ellos el ecólogo argentino Ezequiel Marzinelli, sean trasladados hasta la ciudad australiana de Hobart, donde llegarían a mediados de enero.
Los 22 miembros de la tripulación, mientras tanto, permanecerían en el navío a la espera de que se derrita el hielo para salir de la zona.
La Autoridad Australiana de Seguridad Marítima tuvo que suspender inicialmente la operación debido al mal tiempo y a las condiciones del hielo marino que dificultaban el avance de la barcaza entre los rompehielos chino y australiano...............http://www.telam.com.ar/notas/201401/46689-comienza-la-evacuacion-del-barco-ruso-atrapado-en-el-hielo-antartico.html
2/1/14
Antarctique : tous les passagers du navire bloqué ont été secourus...
ReplyDeleteL'évacuation des passagers du navire russe bloqué depuis le 24 décembre avait débuté, jeudi matin, grâce à l'arrivée sur place d'un hélicoptère chinois.
Leurs aventures prennent fin. Les 52 passagers d'un navire russe, bloqué dans les glaces de l'Antarctique depuis le 24 décembre, ont tous été secourus, jeudi 2 janvier. Après plusieurs reports ces derniers jours, l'opération avait pu débuter, dans la matinée, grâce à l'arrivée sur place d'un hélicoptère chinois, avait annoncé sur Twitter le chef de l'expédition.
"L'hélicoptère chinois est arrivé au Chokalskiï [le navire russe]. Nous partons, c'est du 100%", a tweeté Chris Turney en accompagnant son message d'une vidéo...........http://www.francetvinfo.fr/monde/antarctique-la-glace-retarde-de-nouveau-le-secours-du-navire-russe_495358.html#xtor=RSS-3-[lestitres]
2/1/14