MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Argentine icebreaker successfully rendezvous with stranded German vessel
After a gruelling 100-mile passage through six metre thick ice the Argentine Navy icebreaker ARA Almirante Irizar yesterday afternoon succeeded in reaching the Magdalena Oldendorff according news released by the Navy late last night.
The German vessel has been trapped in the ice pack off the Antarctica coast at longitude one degree East, latitud 69 degrees South since June 11.
The Navy reported that due to the appalling weather conditions and the thickness of the ice the Irizar was forced to ram its way through at full capacity to reach the stranded vessel.
Contact was established between both vessels and a meeting will be held in the morning between both captains and the representatives of Oldendorff travelling on the Irizar to establish what steps to take next.
Weather allowing the Sea King helicopters from the Irizar will today seek a route back to open sea. The Irizar will attempt to open a channel for the Oldendorff to sail through. If this fails the icebreaker will tow the German 21.000-ton ice class Multi Ro-Ro vessel out of the ice.
The Irizar reported the weather conditions in the area as appalling with major snowstorms, extremely high winds and temperatures of minus 24º C.
The Oldendorff, which is owned by the German Oldendorff Group was carrying a crew of 26 and 71 Russian scientists returning from Antarctic research stations when it was caught in the ice just off the Antarctic coast on June 11. The site is some 4.000-km (2.300 nautical miles) due south of Cape Town and 1.500 miles north of the South Pole. At the time it was making its way back to South Africa after spending several months resupplying Russian research stations
In early July two South African Navy Oryx helicopters successfully airlifted the 71 Russian scientists from the Oldendorff flying them back to the South African Antarctic Supply ? Oceanographic Research vessel MV SA Agulhas. The helicopters also delivered some 2.000-kg of badly needed supplies to the 26 strong crew remaining on board the vessel
The Irizar was built for the Argentine Navy in Finland in the 1970's and is the only icebreaker currently available in the Southern Hemisphere. It is named after Argentine Navy Lieutenant Julian Irizar, who 100 years ago succeeded in rescuing a Swedish scientific expedition stranded on Antarctica. Over the last two decades the Irizar has carried out 27 Antarctic campaigns and has taken part in several successful rescue operations in Antarctic waters, but never is such adverse conditions or in such a remote location.
Nicholas Tozer ? Buenos Aires
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