Antarctica rescue: Xue Long calls for help after becoming stuck while trying to help Akademik Shokal

[jakeXT]

Source: Sydney Morning Herald

Chinese polar resupply ship Xue Long has flagged for the first time that it may need help, after spending days among Antarctic pack ice after coming to the aid of private expedition ship Akademik Shokalskiy.

The 15,000-tonne Xue Long notified the Australian Maritime Safety Authority on Friday afternoon that it had concerns about its ability to move through heavy ice.

AMSA said it had placed the Aurora Australis on standby to assist, only hours after it was stood down and allowed to proceed on its resupply mission to Casey station after taking on board 52 passengers rescued from the Shokalskiy.

Observers on the Aurora had noted that the Xue Long appeared not to have moved for days. The ship's helicopter was used to transfer the group from the Akademik Shokalskiy to ice near the Aurora.




Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/weather/antarctica-rescue-xue-long-calls-for-help-after-becoming-stuck-while-trying-to-help-akademik-shokalskiy-20140103-309dl.html

[AtheistCrusader]

1. Anti-AGW crowds are having a field day with this one.

Positively thrashing about in their own ignorance, like a pig in mud.

[blackspade]

2. yep, further demonstrating their stupidity on a global scale.

nitwits.

[jakeXT]

3. Chinese ship fails to break out of ice trap in Antarctica after rescue mission

An attempt to break free of heavy Antarctic ice floes by Chinese icebreaker Xue Long, which helped to rescue passengers from Russia’s Akademik Shokalsky, has failed. But those it helped to rescue are now on their way home on an Australian vessel.

“Xue Long’s attempt to maneuver through the ice early this morning was unsuccessful,” the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said in a statement. "The ship has confirmed to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority it is beset by ice."

...

The Xue Long's movement has been blocked by a drifting kilometer-long iceberg, which constantly changed position and at times came as closely as 1.2 nautical miles (about 2.2 kilometers) to the ship, according to Xinhua reporters aboard the Chinese icebreaker.

“The conditions are extremely complex in this sea area, which is experiencing large astronomical tides, and the positions of the iceberg and ice floes are changing rapidly,” said Wang Jianzhong, captain of the Xue Long.

...

http://rt.com/news/antarctic-chinese-rescue-stuck-167/