Antarctic mission over as ships clear ice field
Sydney January 8, 2014 (AFP) - A complex international operation to free a Russian ship trapped in Antarctica ended Wednesday when the vessel cleared the ice field, as officials released a United States icebreaker from the rescue.
The Russian-flagged Akademik Shokalskiy became stuck on December 24, triggering a rescue operation coordinated by Australian authorities which included French, Chinese, American and German agencies.
China's powerful icebreaker Xue Long raced to respond to the stranded ship, which had been carrying 74 scientists, passengers and crew, but was unable to break through and became trapped itself.The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) confirmed Wednesday that the Akademik Shokalskiy and the Xue Long "have broken free from the ice in Antarctica and are no longer in need of assistance".
The United States Coast Guard 399-foot long icebreaker Polar Star, which had been en route to the stranded ships, was released from the rescue.
It will now continue on its original mission of resupplying and refuelling the US's McMurdo and Amundsen-Scott South Pole stations during the weather window provided by the southern hemisphere summer.
"We are extremely pleased to learn that both the Xue Long and the Akademik Shokalskiy freed themselves from the ice," US Coast Guard commander Vice Admiral Paul F. Zukunft said.
China's powerful icebreaker Xue Long raced to respond to the stranded ship, which had been carrying 74 scientists