ANARTICA/ARGENTINA: ARGENTINE NAVY ICEBREAKER PREPARES FOR RISKY VOYAGE TO ASSIST IN RESCUE OF MORE THAN 100 PEOPLE ON A SHIP TRAPPED IN ANTARTIC ICE
Record ID:
640786
ANARTICA/ARGENTINA: ARGENTINE NAVY ICEBREAKER PREPARES FOR RISKY VOYAGE TO ASSIST IN RESCUE OF MORE THAN 100 PEOPLE ON A SHIP TRAPPED IN ANTARTIC ICE
- Title: ANARTICA/ARGENTINA: ARGENTINE NAVY ICEBREAKER PREPARES FOR RISKY VOYAGE TO ASSIST IN RESCUE OF MORE THAN 100 PEOPLE ON A SHIP TRAPPED IN ANTARTIC ICE
- Date: 24th June 2002
- Summary: (U7)BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA (JUNE 24, 2002) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF NAVY ICEBREAKER, ALMIRANTE IRIZAR, AT DOCK, CREW PREPARING SHIP (5 SHOTS) SV: HECTOR RAUL BENMUYAL, CAPTAIN OF SHIP, BOARDING SV/CU'S: EXPERTS MAPPING COURSE (3 SHOTS) WIDE OF NEWS CONFERENCE ON BOARD SHIP SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BENMUYAL SAYING: "The first priority is to get the (stranded) ship out to sea which is very difficult. The second priority will be to stock them with fuel and supplies. Re-supplying the ship should be easy however, re-fueling, we will have to see how close we get. Rescuing the personnel is also a priority that we will try to carry out, depending on the conditions we find ourselves in." VARIOUS OF DOCKED SHIP; CREW LOADING SUPPLIES (12 SHOTS) Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 9th July 2002 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: ANTARCTICA / BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA
- City:
- Country: Argentina Antarctica
- Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes
- Reuters ID: LVA5ZJLB3UYK845XXM6P7IX00R6E
- Story Text: Argentina has begun preparing a navy icebreaker that will assist South Africa in the rescue operation of more than 100 people on a ship trapped in Antarctic ice.
The crew of Argentina's ice-breaking ship, the Almirante (All-mee-ran-tay) Irizar (Eeree-zar), prepared on Monday (June 24) for their risky voyage to Antarctica to assist in the rescue of more than 100 people on a ship trapped in Antarctic ice.
"The first priority is to get the (stranded) ship out to sea which is very difficult," Hector Raul Benmyal (Ben-mee-all), Captain of the Almirante Irizar, said.
"The second priority will be to stock them with fuel and supplies."
The rescue mission is being led by South Africa with Argentina assisting. According to reports, the 79 Russian scientists and 28 crew aboard the stranded German-owned Magdalena Oldendorff were trying to make their limited food supplies last as extreme weather slows the rescue effort.
South Africa's Cape-Town based Antarctic Logistics Centre International rushed to organise the rescue mission before the Antarctic winter made the journey impossible.
When the oceanographic research ship Agulhas left Cape Town for its 2,500-nautical mile journey to the Antarctic late on Sunday, organisers said the stranded ship had food for 20 days. But the Agulhas has been forced to slow its pace after hitting heavy seas and strong winds, raising concern it may not reach the Magdalena Oldendorff as quickly as originally hoped.
Organizers hope the rescue ship would reach the edge of the ice within a week. After that it must cross about 500 miles of icefields, which could take another week.
Agulhas has a reinforced hull but cannot break through pack ice.
The Almirante Irizar is expected to leave Buenos Aires early on Tuesday for its week-long journey south, and the Agulhas will not wait for it before starting to make its way through the ice.
Two military Oryx helicopters on the Agulhas will fly a Russian ice expert ahead of the ship to help it navigate through, he said.
The Almirante Irizar would be able to break a path through the heavier, older ice near the Magdalena Oldendorff, which has been stranded since June 11.
The plan is to help the Magdalena Oldenorff sail through the ice under its own steam. But if for any reason the Agulhas is unable to get near the German ship, its helicopters with long-range fuel tanks will be able to fly to it from as far as 170 nautical miles away.
The Almirante Irizar is also equipped with a helicopter landing pad. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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