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107 People Stranded in Antarctica

Posted by michael on from the global-warming-needed-quickly dept.

RedArmy18 writes "A German freighter carrying 107 people became trapped when the boat got stuck in the ice. Argentina was going to launch a rescue effort but it has been caught in a dispute over the cost, the Russian govt. has also considered sending an icebreaker to free the crew."

4 of 34 comments (clear)

  1. Re:USCG by Ivan+Raikov · · Score: 3, Informative

    Also, why the HELL are there researchers there now?

    A careful perusal of the article in question reveals that the ship was changing the crew at two research stations. Seems that work in these stations continues all year long.

    What I'm curious about is, why don't they send cargo airplanes to drop off packages of food (or helicopter fuel) near the ship, where they can be picked up by the crew.

    As for the Coast Guard ice breakers, the web sites of both the USCGC Healy and the USCGC Polar Star seem to suggest that these ships are operating in the Arctic this year. The web site of the USCGC Polar Sea was shut down, "due to recent events." Ah well.

    --
    Bush Lies Watch
  2. Re:Arguing over the cost of saving lives... by TulioSerpio · · Score: 3, Informative

    1. I'm not going to defend my goverment.
    2. the Argentine army will run out of money next month(in spanish)

    3. They planned a rescue mission.(in spanish) with 2 problems, money and juridiction, argentina say must be local juridiction, no international, in case of problems.

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    I'm from Argentina: Tango, Asado, Mate, Gaucho, Maradona, YPF

  3. The Ice Master by iiii · · Score: 4, Interesting
    Reminds me of a book I just finished reading, The Ice Master. It's a great book. It is the true story of the Karluk and its crew, who, during a polar expedition, got stuck in the arctic ice in 1913. The ice they were trapped in drifted hundreds of miles, from Alaska to Siberia, so no one could find them. They were trapped with the ship for some seven months, then the ship sank and they were stranded out there on the ice. They survived on the ice for several more months, then most of them managed to get to land, and the captain trekked hundreds of miles to get to the western coast of Siberia, where he got passage to Alaska to arrange a rescue. In the end more than half of them died, and the rescue finally got to them a year and three months after they were iced in.

    Things are much better for these folks in Antarctica, of course, but if these things interest you I highly recommend the book.

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    Light cup, beer drink, thin so chain, neck turtle fat, man I won't say it again
  4. South Africa Responded by gus+goose · · Score: 3, Informative
    South Africa responded as well ...

    Well, SA has the supplies, but does not have an icebreaker to get them there...

    gus

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    .. if only.