Rescued! Expedition Ship Crew Airlifted By Helicopter

The 52 scientists, professors and adventurous travelers trapped on an expedition ship in Antarctica for more than a week were airlifted to a rescue vessel by a helicopter carried by a Chinese icebreaker on Jan. 2.

The passengers boarded the Aurora Australis to head for home, but still weren’t expected back in Tasmania until mid-January.

The news came via Twitter thanks to Professor Chris Turney of the University of New South Wales, who relayed information from the Akademik Shokalskiy via Twitter, videos and blogs since the ship became trapped by sea ice on Dec. 24.

We've made it to the Aurora australis safe & sound. A huge thanks to the Chinese & @AusAntarctic for all their hard work! #spiritofmawson

— Chris Turney (@ProfChrisTurney) January 2, 2014

The rescue mission was successfully completed after several previous efforts failed.

The Aurora Australis and the Chinese icebreaker Xue Long (Snow Dragon) were unable to break through the thick ice, so the helicopter rescue operation was devised.

“This rescue is a complex operation involving a number of steps,” the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said in a press release. “Operations in Antarctica are all weather and ice dependent and conditions can change rapidly. The priority is to ensure the safety of all involved.”

Despite being stranded far from home for both Christmas and New Year’s Day, the Akademik Shokalskiy had plenty of food and supplies to last for months.

Twenty-two Russian crew members remain aboard to navigate the ship back to open water when the ice breaks up. Spirits remained high onboard during the ordeal, Turney reported.

“Meanwhile on board the Shokalskiy, moral remains good and the team are pulling together in an extraordinary way. Everyone is working hard to support one another,” he wrote in a blog. “Take a look at the video diaries on the Intrepid Science YouTube Channel to see what we are up to.

We are all keeping busy, with twice daily briefings outlining all the information we have to hand, alongside classes through the day (knot tying, languages, yoga, photography and many others) while the science programme has continued as best we can. Thanks for all your support and we hope to see you all soon.”

Images from today's evacuation of AAE from ice. https://t.co/hdfTs1qzdP Great relief! Thanks for everyone's help & support. #spiritofmawson

— Chris Turney (@ProfChrisTurney) January 2, 2014

The ship was operating the “Spirit of Mawson” voyage coordinated by a group of professors and scientists called Australasian Antarctic Expedition (AAE) of 2013-2014.

The expedition was commemorating the explorations of Australian explorer Douglas Mawson more than a century earlier. He was a noted geologist who had traveled with Sir Ernest Shackleton as well as headed his own trips to Antarctica. The current voyage left New Zealand on Nov. 26 and was scheduled to return Jan. 4.

Follow Theresa Norton Masek on Twitter at @cruiseapalooza.