 |
| The Russian fishing boat Sparta, near the Antarctic ice shelf (AFP/USAF/File) |
WELLINGTON
— A stricken Russian fishing vessel stranded in icy Antarctic waters was in a
"precarious position" Sunday, New Zealand rescuers said two days
after the vessel was holed by an iceberg.
The crew of
the Sparta had a scare overnight when temporary patches placed over the damaged
section of hull failed and the boat began taking on water again.
But several
hours later they reported they again had the situation under control.
The
Russian-flagged Sparta, with a crew of 32, sent out a distress call early
Friday from near the Antarctic ice shelf when it was holed 1.5 metres below the
water line and started to list.
It will be
several days before rescue ships can make their way through heavy sea ice to
reach the vessel about 2,000 nautical miles (3,704 kilometres) southeast of New
Zealand.
However, a
New Zealand Air Force Hercules was able to fly over the Sparta late Saturday
and drop off extra pumping equipment and fuel.
"Sparta
remained in a precarious position," New Zealand search and rescue
coordinator Dave Wilson said.
"This
highlights the importance of the mission in delivering the pumping equipment
yesterday.
This equipment has enabled them to get on top of the water ingress
again, and they will now be working to fix the patches more securely."
Wilson said
with rescue still days away, the stabilisation work was vital for the vessel
and its crew.
"They
have life rafts but with the conditions down there, it?s much safer for them if
they can wait for rescue on board their vessel."
Two
vessels, the Sel Jevaer and Chiyo Maru No 3 were struggling to navigate a
circuitous route through the ice and would take several days to reach Sparta?s
position.
A South
Korean icebreaker, Araon, which was docked in New Zealand, has been
commissioned by the Sparta's owners to assist. It set sail early Sunday and
will take eight days to reach the area.
A New
Zealand fishing boat, San Aspiring, was pulled from the rescue operation on
Saturday after advising conditions were too difficult for it to proceed.
"San
Aspiring was 470 nautical miles away from Sparta but would have had to travel
much further than that to reach the vessel, because there was no direct line
through the ice," Wilson said.
"They
confirmed the journey would take too long and would potentially put their own
crew in danger."
 |
| South
Korean icebreaker Araon, left, approaches the Russian ship Sparta which has been trapped due to an accident, in the Antarctic on Sunday. (EPA Photo) |
Related Articles:
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.