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Antarctic rescue: free at last! Antarctic rescue: free at last!
(about 14 hours later)
The announcement crackled over the Akademik Shokalskiy's public address system at 6pm local time on Thursday: "Everybody, this is it, we're going." We had been drilled several times in the past few days for what was about to happen next – after nine days stuck in the ice off the coast of Antarctica, a helicopter was on its way to get us out.The announcement crackled over the Akademik Shokalskiy's public address system at 6pm local time on Thursday: "Everybody, this is it, we're going." We had been drilled several times in the past few days for what was about to happen next – after nine days stuck in the ice off the coast of Antarctica, a helicopter was on its way to get us out.
We trooped out in groups of 12 to wait next to our makeshift helipad on the ice, stomped flat by passengers on New Year's Eve and, in the absence of paint, marked up with thick lines of powdered chocolate applied directly to the ice.We trooped out in groups of 12 to wait next to our makeshift helipad on the ice, stomped flat by passengers on New Year's Eve and, in the absence of paint, marked up with thick lines of powdered chocolate applied directly to the ice.
When it neared the ground, the KA32 helicopter's two counter-rotating sets of blades sent jets of loose snow in all directions. Talking was impossible by this point, so we were signalled just to keep close to the the person in front, through the blizzard of snow and small chunks of ice, as we walked the last 50 metres to the aircraft. On board we were jammed in with as much luggage as would fit in between and on top of us all, and then we were off. When it neared the ground, the KA32 helicopter's two counter-rotating sets of blades sent jets of loose snow in all directions. Talking was impossible by this point, so we were signalled just to keep close to the person in front, through the blizzard of snow and small chunks of ice, as we walked the last 50 metres to the aircraft. On board we were jammed in with as much luggage as would fit in between and on top of us all, and then we were off.
Twenty minutes later, flying over a seeming neverending surface of white and past the helicopter's mother ship, the Chinese icebreaker Xue Long, we set down on an ice floe, 100m from the Australian icebreaker, the Aurora Australis. It took less than 15 minutes for the crew to unload us and the baggage and then the helicopter was gone, a dot in the sky, on its way back to the Shokalskiy to pick up more people.Twenty minutes later, flying over a seeming neverending surface of white and past the helicopter's mother ship, the Chinese icebreaker Xue Long, we set down on an ice floe, 100m from the Australian icebreaker, the Aurora Australis. It took less than 15 minutes for the crew to unload us and the baggage and then the helicopter was gone, a dot in the sky, on its way back to the Shokalskiy to pick up more people.
The most surprising thing about our evacuation was that, after the amount of time we had spent preparing for the moment, it was all over so quickly.The most surprising thing about our evacuation was that, after the amount of time we had spent preparing for the moment, it was all over so quickly.
On Thursday, we had woken on our ship to glorious sunshine. Standing on the top deck, you could see the enormous ice cap of Antarctica two nautical miles awat to port. All around, a field of solid ice stretched in every direction to the horizon – an alien landscape of white boulders and flattened mini-icebergs. The rain and relatively warm temperatures of the past two days had melted a large pool at the stern of our vessel, revealing dark, cold water that lapped up against the edge of a thick ice floe and into which three adelie penguins spent most of the afternoon swimming, floating or leaping.On Thursday, we had woken on our ship to glorious sunshine. Standing on the top deck, you could see the enormous ice cap of Antarctica two nautical miles awat to port. All around, a field of solid ice stretched in every direction to the horizon – an alien landscape of white boulders and flattened mini-icebergs. The rain and relatively warm temperatures of the past two days had melted a large pool at the stern of our vessel, revealing dark, cold water that lapped up against the edge of a thick ice floe and into which three adelie penguins spent most of the afternoon swimming, floating or leaping.
The past few evenings we had been told to prepare ourselves for a potential evacuation the following morning. That meant suitcases packed and labelled, important items including passports and house keys stashed in a small bag that we were to keep with us at all times during the frenzy of the rescue – but every subsequent morning we had been stood down.The past few evenings we had been told to prepare ourselves for a potential evacuation the following morning. That meant suitcases packed and labelled, important items including passports and house keys stashed in a small bag that we were to keep with us at all times during the frenzy of the rescue – but every subsequent morning we had been stood down.
By mid-afternoon on Thursday, many of us were resigned to another delay. Several dozen passengers and crew had spent hours in the canteen together helping the cooks to make palmini, a type of Russian dumpling, for dinner. A group of passengers had set up a domed tent on the ice, with chairs and mats inside, to do readings from diaries and articles that they had written over the course of the recent weeks, their thoughts and reflections of Antarctica.By mid-afternoon on Thursday, many of us were resigned to another delay. Several dozen passengers and crew had spent hours in the canteen together helping the cooks to make palmini, a type of Russian dumpling, for dinner. A group of passengers had set up a domed tent on the ice, with chairs and mats inside, to do readings from diaries and articles that they had written over the course of the recent weeks, their thoughts and reflections of Antarctica.
Though the visibility was good and the weather had been generally perfect for helicopter flight all day, the two icebreakers that were co-ordinating our rescue had been having trouble reaching each other. The plan had been that, when the weather allowed it, we would be helicoptered to the Xue Long, then taken by barge to the Aurora Australis. The plan was carefully choreographed and every element had to be just right for it to work properly.Though the visibility was good and the weather had been generally perfect for helicopter flight all day, the two icebreakers that were co-ordinating our rescue had been having trouble reaching each other. The plan had been that, when the weather allowed it, we would be helicoptered to the Xue Long, then taken by barge to the Aurora Australis. The plan was carefully choreographed and every element had to be just right for it to work properly.
The Xue Long, though, was having trouble getting itself out of the ice field it had entered on Friday when trying to reach the Shokalskiy. The Aurora Australis had made some progress through the ice in the past few days, getting to within 2.5 nautical miles of the Xue Long, but couldn't get any closer. With the two vessels too far apart in the open water, but with a perfect weather window available, we needed a new plan.The Xue Long, though, was having trouble getting itself out of the ice field it had entered on Friday when trying to reach the Shokalskiy. The Aurora Australis had made some progress through the ice in the past few days, getting to within 2.5 nautical miles of the Xue Long, but couldn't get any closer. With the two vessels too far apart in the open water, but with a perfect weather window available, we needed a new plan.
By the time the KA32 helicopter came to test out the Shokalskiy's helipad on Thursday, that new plan had been put in place by the ship captains and we were told as the helicopter landed: we would fly from the ice floe next to the Shokalskiy directly to an ice floe next to the Aurora Australis.By the time the KA32 helicopter came to test out the Shokalskiy's helipad on Thursday, that new plan had been put in place by the ship captains and we were told as the helicopter landed: we would fly from the ice floe next to the Shokalskiy directly to an ice floe next to the Aurora Australis.
The next four hours were a blur. Afterwards, several of us remarked about how little time there had been to say goodbye to the brilliant Russian crew who had been our companions these past few weeks, looking after us on the Shokalskiy. It was always the intention that the 20 crew members would stay on the ship to wait for further icebreaker assistance – the American and Russian icebreakers the Polar Star and Federov are a few weeks away from the Shokalskiy's position. The speed of our departure meant that there had barely been time to shake hands and wish the crew the best possible luck.The next four hours were a blur. Afterwards, several of us remarked about how little time there had been to say goodbye to the brilliant Russian crew who had been our companions these past few weeks, looking after us on the Shokalskiy. It was always the intention that the 20 crew members would stay on the ship to wait for further icebreaker assistance – the American and Russian icebreakers the Polar Star and Federov are a few weeks away from the Shokalskiy's position. The speed of our departure meant that there had barely been time to shake hands and wish the crew the best possible luck.
On board the Australian vessel the crew welcomed us with drinks, offered us dinner and, when the ship's master, Murray Doyle, came to talk to us, people shouted "thank you" and burst into applause before he spoke a word. A huge thanks to the Australian, Chinese and French teams that helped extricate us from the ice field," said Chris Turney, a climate scientist at the University of New South Wales and the leader of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition aboard the Shokalskiy. "And, of course, the Russian team who were truly outstanding and we hope to see them again soon in New Zealand, when the Shoklaskiy finally breaks free." On board the Australian vessel the crew welcomed us with drinks, offered us dinner and, when the ship's master, Murray Doyle, came to talk to us, people shouted "thank you" and burst into applause before he spoke a word. "A huge thanks to the Australian, Chinese and French teams that helped extricate us from the ice field," said Chris Turney, a climate scientist at the University of New South Wales and the leader of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition aboard the Shokalskiy. "And, of course, the Russian team who were truly outstanding and we hope to see them again soon in New Zealand, when the Shoklaskiy finally breaks free."
Doyle told us it had been a relief to get all of the Shokalskiy's passengers on board his ship safely.Doyle told us it had been a relief to get all of the Shokalskiy's passengers on board his ship safely.
He also explained why so many ships had had so much trouble getting through the ice to the Russian-operated vessel.He also explained why so many ships had had so much trouble getting through the ice to the Russian-operated vessel.
"It was just so thick, it was well outside our parameters," he said. "When we tried to reach the Shokalskiy there was just nowhere for us to push the ice. It became a very hard task to grind it down and we didn't have the fuel or the time to do that.""It was just so thick, it was well outside our parameters," he said. "When we tried to reach the Shokalskiy there was just nowhere for us to push the ice. It became a very hard task to grind it down and we didn't have the fuel or the time to do that."
The 90m-long, 10,000-horsepower Aurora Australis is rated to move through ice that is 1.3m thick, with 20cm of snow on top, at approximately two knots. Much of the ice around the Shokalskiy was many years old, more than three metres thick with a metre or more of snow on top. In addition, the snow was very damp because of the recent rain in the area, making it sludgy. "It slows us down and takes a lot of the punch out of us when we're trying to break ice," he said.The 90m-long, 10,000-horsepower Aurora Australis is rated to move through ice that is 1.3m thick, with 20cm of snow on top, at approximately two knots. Much of the ice around the Shokalskiy was many years old, more than three metres thick with a metre or more of snow on top. In addition, the snow was very damp because of the recent rain in the area, making it sludgy. "It slows us down and takes a lot of the punch out of us when we're trying to break ice," he said.
According to Turney, our ship got stuck because thick, old ice that had been stuck to the Antarctic continent had been blown off the coastline and driven by winds and currents to the location where the Shokalskiy was sailing. When the winds pushed it against the continent, it pinned our ship in place. "Coming out to the Aurora Australis and seeing the huge blocks of ice that reached the horizon makes you realise what an enormous event this blowout of ice must have been," he said.According to Turney, our ship got stuck because thick, old ice that had been stuck to the Antarctic continent had been blown off the coastline and driven by winds and currents to the location where the Shokalskiy was sailing. When the winds pushed it against the continent, it pinned our ship in place. "Coming out to the Aurora Australis and seeing the huge blocks of ice that reached the horizon makes you realise what an enormous event this blowout of ice must have been," he said.
When the new passengers had been shown to their cabins and with the sun setting, the Australian icebreaker began moving. It was a strange feeling, after a week of steadiness, to be swaying and swinging again in water.When the new passengers had been shown to their cabins and with the sun setting, the Australian icebreaker began moving. It was a strange feeling, after a week of steadiness, to be swaying and swinging again in water.
From the ship's impressive bridge, we could see how extraordinarily deep the ice was. As it lolled and lumbered through the ice floes, the ship slowly widened cracks and crumbled off bits of the unending white ice field ahead, creating around it a debris path of huge white boulders floating in the water. The ice sheet itself extended many metres under the surface and the rubble created around it by the icebreaker looked like giant white soap bubbles foaming at the surface of the cold sea.From the ship's impressive bridge, we could see how extraordinarily deep the ice was. As it lolled and lumbered through the ice floes, the ship slowly widened cracks and crumbled off bits of the unending white ice field ahead, creating around it a debris path of huge white boulders floating in the water. The ice sheet itself extended many metres under the surface and the rubble created around it by the icebreaker looked like giant white soap bubbles foaming at the surface of the cold sea.
The next step for the Aurora Australis is to head east and towards open water, about 10 nautical miles through the ice from where it picked up the Shokalskiy's passengers. Once there, it will be given instructions by the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) on where to go next.The next step for the Aurora Australis is to head east and towards open water, about 10 nautical miles through the ice from where it picked up the Shokalskiy's passengers. Once there, it will be given instructions by the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) on where to go next.
The ship had been halfway through its re-supply of the Australian Antarctic base, Casey, when it was called on to help the Shokalskiy. "At the moment, if we get back to Casey and complete the programme there, we can get back to Hobart and be on time to depart for the next voyage pretty much on time," said Doyle.The ship had been halfway through its re-supply of the Australian Antarctic base, Casey, when it was called on to help the Shokalskiy. "At the moment, if we get back to Casey and complete the programme there, we can get back to Hobart and be on time to depart for the next voyage pretty much on time," said Doyle.
In his 17 years of working on the Aurora Australis, helping the passengers of the Shokalskiy has been Doyle's first rescue. He said assisting people in distress was "part of the programme" for people working in Antarctica.In his 17 years of working on the Aurora Australis, helping the passengers of the Shokalskiy has been Doyle's first rescue. He said assisting people in distress was "part of the programme" for people working in Antarctica.
"You have to rely on each other if something goes wrong," he said. "You're too far away from anything else, it's only the people here you can really rely on.""You have to rely on each other if something goes wrong," he said. "You're too far away from anything else, it's only the people here you can really rely on."
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