Passengers rescued from stranded Antarctic cruise ship

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Saturday, December 6, 2008

Antarctica

Other stories from Antarctica

• 5 April 2009: Massive ice shelf expected to break away from Antarctica
• 10 January 2009: Canadian trio claim South Pole record for trans-Antarctic trip
• 6 December 2008: Passengers rescued from stranded Antarctic cruise ship
• 5 December 2008: Wikinews Shorts: December 5, 2008
• 7 March 2008: Protester says Japanese whalers shot him

...More articles here

Location of Antarctica

To write, edit, start or view other articles on Antarctica, see the Antarctica Portal

The Panamanian-flagged cruise ship MV Ushuaia, operated by Antarpply Expeditions of Argentina, ran aground near Cape Anna at the entrance to Wilhelmina Bay. Having been stuck on rocks in the Antarctic Peninsula, it suffered a puncture in two diesel fuel tanks, and was leaking fuel and taking on a "minimal amount of water." It had two cracks, but is not in danger of sinking.

Antarctic Peninsula map

The passengers were rescued by Achiles, a Chilean Navy ship, which took them to Chile's Base Presidente Eduardo Frei Montalva in Antarctica. The station has a 1300 metre-long airstrip which can facilitate airlifts for the passengers. They will be taken by a Hercules C-130 plane to the Port of Ushuaia, from which they can be flown back to South America.

Argentine Admiral Daniel Martin Alberto said that the 89 passengers onboard were all in good health. Argentina and Chile are both sending a rescue mission to the stricken ship, with 40 crew members. The Antarctic Dream, at seven nautical miles away, was reported to have changed course to collect and transfer passengers to Tierra del Fuego. However, the Chilean Navy got to Ushuaia first.

The Australian Antarctic Division announced that "as well as the New Zealander, there were 11 Australians, 12 Americans, 14 Dutch, nine Germans, seven Britons, six Chinese, six Spaniards, five Swiss, three Italians, two Irish, two French, two Canadians, a Cypriot and a Belgian. The crew consisted of 28 Argentinians, eight Chileans, three Uruguayans, and one Spaniard."

Meanwhile, Jon Bowermaster, a writer aboard the National Geographic Explorer, described the situation: "We had hurricane winds yesterday — 103 miles per hour (166 kilometres per hour) and gusting — which may have contributed to the grounding."

Although there is no major leak, containment efforts are being made by Chilean navy ship Lautaro to stem the fuel leak, which has spread for half a mile around the stranded ship. Salvaging the ship, however, was proving more of a problem.

Related news

• "Wikinews Shorts: December 5, 2008". Wikinews, December 5, 2008
• "Canadian cruise ship sinking in Antarctic". Wikinews, November 23, 2007

Sources

• "Passengers stranded in Antarctica rescued by Chilean navy". Xinha, December 6, 2008
• "Antarctic Cruise Ship Runs Aground; Oil Leak Spreading?". National Geographic News, December 6, 2008
• "Passengers removed from cruise ship stranded off Antarctica". CNN, December 5, 2008
• "Antarctic Cruise Tourists Rescued". Sky News, December 5, 2008
• "Cruise ship taking on water in Antarctica". The Times, December 5, 2008
• "NZer among passengers on stricken Antarctic cruise ship". The New Zealand Herald, December 5, 2008
• "Cruise ship stranded in Antarctica". BBC News Online, December 4, 2008
• Andrew C. Revkin "Cruise Boat Runs Aground Off Antarctica". The New York Times, December 4, 2008
  

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