Russian ship trapped in ice off Antarctic coast

[tfcrew]

A Chinese ice-breaker is expected to arrive Friday to rescue the 74 people stranded aboard an ice-trapped expedition cruise ship in Antarctica, according to the professor organizing the trip.
The Russian ship Akademik Shokalskiy has been stuck at sea since Christmas morning, when it was seized by ice on the edge of the continent. The ship contacted the Australian Maritime Safety Authority for assistance, and three ice-breakers that were in the region are now racing through blizzard conditions to reach the vessel.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/news/2013/12/26/russian-ship-trapped-in-ice/4206329/

[tfcrew]

Still stuck...

Australian Icebreaker Turns Back from Antarctic Rescue MissionVLADIVOSTOK, December 30 (RIA Novosti) – An Australian icebreaker was forced to turn back from an attempt to rescue the passengers on a Russian research vessel trapped in thick Antarctic ice, citing poor weather that made the mission unsafe, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said Monday.
The icebreaker, Aurora Australis, made it within 10 nautical miles (18 kilometers) of the stranded Akademik Shokalsky, but is now located in open waters about 18 nautical miles east of the Russian vessel. The area where Akademik Shokalsky is bottled up by ice is currently experiencing winds of up to 30 knots and snow showers, according to the Authority.

http://en.ria.ru/russia/20131230/186078956/Australian-Icebreaker-Turns-Back-from-Antarctic-Rescue-Mission.html