US Coast Guard Ship En Route to Rescue 26 Fishermen on Boat Stuck in Antarctic Ice
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Credit: John Freeman/Getty Images(ALAMEDA, Calif.) — The U.S. Coast Guard is en route to help rescue 26 fishermen on a boat that is stuck 900 miles northeast of Antarctica.
Antarctic Chieftain, an Australia-flagged fishing vessel, is reportedly stuck in the Antarctic ice. The crew reported heavy snow, wind and ice conditions, as well as large icebergs along their course.
Capt. Matthew Walker, commanding officer of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star, said in a release on Thursday that his ship is “navigating through heavy pack ice, dodging massive icebergs that range in size from a Home Depot to some that are miles across, often in low visibility conditions.”
The Coast Guard ship is believed to be about 125 miles away from the 207-foot ship. The Coast Guard is expected to reach the ship at about 10 p.m. PST. It is not yet clear whether the Coast Guard ship will have to tow the ship from the ice field.
The Coast Guard says the Polar Star is the only U.S. heavy icebreaker capable of operating in the conditions necessary to break the Antarctic Chieftain out of the ice.
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