Page 68 - Ice Breakers News Today

Leader of the trapped crew talked about the options that are still on the table. >> the big thing is one possibility is would hopefully the ice breaker will try again. we could also try a helicopter evacuation or tentatively, the beautiful vessel called polar star is in the region. if that were to come, it would get us out. the variety of options were keeping hope. >> martin fletcher joins us from the london bureau. theyve been stranded almost a week here. and weve been keep hearing they are oka...

Walk across the ice to that helicopter, which can only take 15 people at a time. so it would be very difficult. in the meantime if the weather does improve, the aurora astralis, which is the toughest of the ice breakers involved, may make another attempt to get alongside and carve a part out of the sheet ice for it. those onboard remain optimistic that they will eventually get out of there. listen here. >> as you can see the weathers a bit sus today, minus 1 and blowing snow. were all in a reall...

Same principal in a massive frigid sea. can you see a a ves ellen route to antarctic got trapped. they were surrounded and how that ship was eventually crushed. even animals used to these conditions like the trapped whales dramatized in "big miracle" are vulnerable. >> did you see that? >> so what does it take to get through the ice and rescue whaelz, cruise ships or anything else that gets stranded? wait. sea ice as thick as ten feet can be broken and the sloping holes of some ice breakers are ...

Much headway just because its not safe to do so because of that poor visibility. its not moving very fast. it was just in the area. theyre trying to enter from the east, but it was determined yesterday that some of the ice was breaking out to the east and it may be easier for the aurora to enter. its just waiting for conditions to clear up a bit. >> are these ice breakers that are just generally stationed there at all times for rescues or just, you know, to keep the thorough fairs open as best t...

Now back to ancartica where a ship is stuck in the ice. ice breakers? how does that happen. >> reporter: you would think that sea ice would move at a glacial pace. they can expand and grow thicker and rise and fall with the winds beneath them. you might remember this scene from minnesota. think of this principle. you can see how they were surrounded and how that ship was eventually crushed.

We cant get through. >> reporter: the winds were gusting up to 45 miles per hour. >> at points, the ship was tilting and we had to readjust. even today, you still can experience just quite frightening conditions at times. >> reporter: but help is on the way. >> on the horizon, chris. >> thats the ice breaker coming to rescue us. >> brilliant. >> reporter: the team spotted the rescue ship from china known as the snow draggen in the distance but their excitement was short lived. it got close but n...

Tourists on the expedition vessel are in good spirits. so far, the ship has enough supplies for the delay. >> let me echo what people are saying, what is the point of a rescue mission that gets stuck, too? >> or more to the point, how do the icebreakers actually get stuck in the first place. >> reporter: you think that because this is a glacial environment, sea ice would move at a glacial pace. not the case. rafts of ice moved quickly, rushed over the sea by wind. they can expand and grow thicke...

The devices normally on this water towards us and pinned us against the antarctic pin cap. if the wind blew the other way, it would disappear but itself and we would be able to sail out. but at the moment were waiting for some ice breakers. >> thats unbelievable. chris, i understand you gave everyone the day off for christmas. how does one celebrate christmas while pinned against the antarctic ice sheet? >> its -- if i tried to value it for the day. we had a fantastic christmas day. a lot of peo...

Whales, cruise ships or anything else getting stranded? wait. sea ice as thick as ten feet can be broken. and the sloping holes of some ice breakers are designed to actually wedge up on top of the ice so the heavy ship can crush down on it. the bows are also designed to then move the cracked ice to the side, plowing a path that other ships can follow. a crusty road to open water, out after frozen maze. >> most of you believe that the current congress is the worse net your lifetime. and not only ...

Problematic. >> wow, a lot in play. you say the helicopter ability, the chinese vessel it has, if it comes to that, at what point would they make that determination? you know, if the australian ship has the same kind of journey as the chinese ship, then everyone will be stuck, all of the icebreakers. what point will they say, okay, time to get the choppers moving and try to pluck many of the 70 people off their research ship? >> reporter: well, the australian vessel is much, much stronger. its m...