Second New Zealand rescue flight en route to stricken Russian boat

Second New Zealand rescue flight en route to stricken Russian boat
A Royal New Zealand Airforce (RNZAF) aircraft carrying pumps, patches and other equipment Wednesday left to help the crew of Russian-flagged fishing boat Sparta, which is crippled in the icy waters of the Antarctic.

Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ) search and rescue mission coordinator John Dickson said the aircraft had departed Christchurch at 9 a.m. and was expected to arrive at the Sparta's position about 4 p.m. Wednesday. The aircraft crew would then undertake trial runs before dropping the equipment onto the ice next to the stricken vessel.

This is the second aircraft sent by RNZAF to assist the Sparta rescue mission.

Dickson said in a statement the vessel was back on an even keel and the crew only needed to resume pumping occasionally to keep ahead of the water ingress.

The RCCNZ was still continuing to monitor the situation, including the weather conditions and the progress of various nearby vessels that have been tasked to assist.

The Norwegian vessel Seljavaer was heading away from the Sparta as it attempted to navigate a way around the heavy ice, while the Sparta's sister ship, the Chiyo Maru no. 3, was approximately still 100 nautical miles (185 kilometers) away, but it was not ice strengthened and its approach was being slowed as it navigated the ice pack, according to the RCCNZ.

The ice-strengthened polar research vessel Araon was en-route and estimated to arrive in the area on Dec. 26.

The RCCNZ launched the rescue mission after the Sparta, with 32 crew aboard 15 Russians, 16 Indonesians and one Ukrainian issued a distress call around 3 a.m. on Friday from a position next to the Antarctic ice shelf, in the Ross Sea, about 2,000 nautical miles southeast of New Zealand.

The 48-meter vessel has a 30cm hole in the side which is 1.5 meters below the water line. The vessel is listing 13 degrees, and taking on water.

On Saturday, a Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) C130 Hercules dropped extra pumping equipment and fuel to the vessel.

Dickson said weather in the area remained reasonably good, with occasional snow showers and cloud, but was forecast to worsen on Thursday.

Editor: Chen Zhi

English.news.cn   2011-12-21 08:41:13              
WELLINGTON, Dec. 21 (Xinhua)