Chinese Helicopter Rescues 52 Passengers From Ship in Antarctic Ice

In one of the world’s most remote and inhospitable places, a red-and-white Chinese helicopter on January 2nd rescued 52 passengers trapped for more than a week aboard a Russian ship in Antarctica, ferrying them to an Australian icebreaker.

The Russian ship was surrounded by such dense ice that it could not move.

Before the operation began, rescuers said they were worried that the weather would turn bad and prevent the helicopter from flying. The helicopter captain, Jia Shuliang, told the Chinese state news agency Xinhua that the rescue would take five or six flights and last three or four hours if conditions were good.

“We must be patient and wait until the adverse weather improves, as poor visibility could lead to tragedy under the current conditions of limited navigation,” he said before the first flight.

But, a few hours later, Dr. Turney sent another message on Twitter saying, “We’ve made it to the Aurora Australis safe and sound.” The Australian Maritime Safety Agency, which coordinated the rescue, said the crew of the Aurora Australis had confirmed that the 52 passengers were on board.