February 14, 2015 — Rescuers on Saturday reached a fishing boat with 26 people aboard trapped in ice near Antarctica and plan to use an unmanned underwater vehicle to assess the damage to it.
The U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker Polar Star traveled several hundred nautical miles through heavy ice to reach the Antarctic Chieftan.
Authorities said the Australian fishing boat suffered damage to three of its four propeller blades and lost its ability to maneuver after becoming stuck in the ice Wednesday.
Polar Star Commanding Officer Capt. Matthew Walker said in a statement that the conditions were more formidable than expected, with heavy snow and large icebergs. "We are on scene and progressing well with the rescue," he said.
Once the Polar Star breaks the ice around the fishing boat, the Coast Guard crew will lower a remotely operated vehicle into the water for a better look at the boat's propeller blades.
The plan is then for the Polar Star to free the fishing boat, and, if necessary, tow it from the ice field.
Read the full story from the Associated Press at the New York Daily News