Antarctic Rescuers' Ship Stuck in Ice, Needs Rescue Itself

An icebreaker carrying 52 passengers who were retrieved from an icebound ship in the Antarctic began its journey Saturday after a delay when a Chinese vessel involved in the dramatic rescue became trapped in the heavy sea ice. On Friday afternoon, the crew of the Chinese icebreaker that had provided the helicopter said they were worried about their own ship's ability to move through the ice reported NBC News. The Snow Dragon, which is at the edge of the ice pack surrounding the Russian vessel, reported that an attempt to move through the ice early Saturday morning had failed, according to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority's Rescue Coordination Centre, which oversaw the rescue. The agency said there was no danger to anyone on board the Snow Dragon, which reported having several weeks of food supplies on board. But it was yet another wrinkle in the highly complex rescue operation of those on board the Russian ship MV Akademik Shokalskiy, which got stuck in the ice on Christmas Eve.

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