NZ abandons search for Norwegian yacht with three men missing in Antarctic waters
A week-long search for a Norwegian yacht missing in Antarctic waters with three men aboard has been abandoned, New Zealand's Rescue Co-ordination Centre announced Monday.
An extensive air and sea search found no trace of the 14-metre Berserk, which disappeared in minus 12-degree Celsius waters on February 22 except for its damaged life raft.
The Berserk yacht was attempting to mark the centenary of Norwegian explorer Ronald Amundsen's South Pole expedition.
Meanwhile, two survivors of the mission were reported to have reached safety after a 20-hour drive across the ice on quad bikes to catch the last flight out of Antarctica of the southern hemisphere summer.
They aborted the expedition after hearing that the Berserk had disappeared. No more aircraft will be able to land to supply scientists working at research bases in Antarctica until the end of the year.
Antarctic New Zealand chief executive Lou Sanson was quoted saying the whole expedition was beyond understanding: 'It just seems all the protocols and safety principles operating in Antarctica have been broken.'
Sanson said the two survivors, named as mission leader Jarle Andhoy, 34, and Samuel Massie Ulvolden, 18, were suffering from frostbite and exhaustion after driving for nearly 20 hours to reach New Zealand's Scott Base.
Sanson said the men were flying to Christchurch on a United States aircraft and would be met by Norwegian diplomats based in Australia. He said it was up to the Norwegian government to deal with them.
“I don't think Norwegian authorities knew about it. The US government didn't know about it and the New Zealand government didn't know about it.”
He said under New Zealand law anyone heading that far south needed a permit from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He said the trip to the South Pole was not a wise decision.
”It was very unusual to be attempting a 1600km trip to the South Pole on motorbikes. It is minus 20 there. On the Polar Plateau it is minus 30. You get wind chill up to minus 70. These guys were 220km towards the pole and still had over 1200km to go.
HMNZS Wellington conducted a search in the Ross Sea in 180km/h winds and was damaged. The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society ship Steve Irwin also searched, using its helicopter and a boat.
They found a life raft from the missing yacht but it was damaged and empty. The storm which probably claimed the yacht was the worst for 20 years and may have caused a breakout of a huge slab of ice from the McMurdo ice shelf, Sanson said.
The missing men were named by Stuff as Robert Skaane, 34, Tom Gisle Bellika, 36, and Leonard Banks, 32 from South Africa.
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14 comments Feed
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Why don't these people sit it out and leave Antarctica to the big boys, Argentina. All these countries trying to grab land without knowing what they're doing, it's pathetic.
The whole Antarctic continent should belong to Argentina and Chile and no one else. Forget your bullshit expeditions and scientific studies, we've got this... don't worry about it.
Even the US, they've got Alaska... what in the hell are they doing in Antarctica? How about we head over there and claim half of Alaska? Clowns..
Somewhat of an understatement.
Martin, I don't think they were trying to “claim” any of Antarctica, 5 men and a 45 foot boat doesn't really sound like anything other than a joint suicide pact.
Why should the entirity of Antarctica “belong to Argentina and Chile and no-one else”? Wouldn't Australia and New Zealand also have a claim? What with them also being nearby (which seems to be the main criteria that I can see you using) as well. How about South Africa, they're also relatively close?
Or how about everyone sticks to the terms of the treaty that everyone signed (as novel a concept as that is) and no-one claims anything else and the only people there are research expeditions?
Just a thought...
Give me a break..
Australia and New Zealand, they are closer but nowhere as close as Argentina and Chile. And don't forget, Argentina has had a permanent presence in Antarctica since 1904, the first permanent base.
This world is a circus, laws are designed by the bigger powers to circumvent any common sense and any fact that may put them at a disadvantage.
Antarctica's first permanent base, Base Orcadas, (Arg 1904) is not recognized. Even wikipedia states Argentina's claim as of “1943”. Shocker...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antarctica#Antarctic_territories
It wasn't established by Argentina, but by the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition (University of Edinburgh) in 1903.
It's only counted as being in Antarctica because of the treaty that you're so keen to rubbish, it's on Laurie Island (South Orkney Islands/Islas Orcadas del Sur) not Antarctica itself.
The oldest permanant station on Antarctica itself is Bernardo O'Higgins station (established 1948)
And I did say Argentina and Chile, we both have more rights than anyone to Antarctica.
But we both know where this is going, right? UK having more rights than Argentina? I mean since the UK claims exactly what we and Chile claim.
Some interesting trivia for you. The Antarctic Peninsula claimed by both Argentina and Chile is a continuation of the Andes chain.
“These mountains are considered to be a continuation of the Andes of South America, with a submarine spine connecting the two. This is the basis for the position advanced by Chile and Argentina for their territorial claims. The Scotia Arc is the island arc system that links the mountains of the Antarctic Peninsula to those of Tierra del Fuego.”
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antarctic_Peninsula#Geography
But that's irrelevant because the UK 15,000 miles away has more rights than both Argentina and Chile, right?
Like I said, this world is circus.
The question Martin as to why the UK has claims is not why, but why not?
If Chile and Argentina have more rights than anyone else, then prove it...and explain why Argentina and Chile got cold feet when the UK took her claim to the ICJ?
It seems to me Argentina has cobbled together every conceivable scrap of info it could find on its presence in Antarctica and tried to present it as a credible claim, the one thing about it is that the points she uses to claim Antartica contradict most of her other henious claims in the South Atlantic in spectacular style:)
The Andes claim though is a stroke of genius, wouldn't that mean that other countries such as Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela could claim the whole thing as well....Hell why don't I just go and claim the next door neighbours house as it sits on what is effectively an extension of my lawn :)
Or the wooden hut claim.....on islands 300 km from Antarctica, could I claim the farmers field in front so long as I built a wooden shed 300 metres down the road XD
The point being numbskully, geographical claims are irrelevant..why not claim claim Chile and Uruguay whilst your at it, or the hut claim if Argentina can claim the whole of Antarctica with one wooden shed, surely we can claim the Falklands by virtue of having several wooden sheds at Sounders island?
The only reason why Argentina has wanted these territories is to go and get a crack at the resources and to strategically dominate with massive amounts of territorial waters the whole of the southern cone.....explains the rather pitiful legal basis of her claims, well pitiful except in Argentina of course :)
My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the missing and i hope by some miracle the are returned home to there loved ones safe
Sorry but such catastrophic stupidity warrants very little sympathy in my eyes! Theres my two cents!
And in other news 3,000 people have died in Libya doing something worthwhile-Freedom of their country....Why don't you go and pontificate about that?
The UK didn't take its claim over Antarctica to the ICJ, it took its claim to the UN to which Chile and Argentina responded accordingly. No cold feet.
www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/03/07/2510134.htm
Any other inaccurate, idiotic statements you wish to make?
www.icj-cij.org/docket/index.php?p1=3&p2=3&code=uka&case=26&k=cc
www.icj-cij.org/docket/index.php?p1=3&p2=3&code=ukc&case=27&k=94
Care to withdraw that statement nugget?
Seems to me like Argentina and Chile got cold feet when they saw their claim being challenged outside the confines of their own countries :) They didn't even bother to show up to the ICJ!
Lol cold feet hahah!
Don't know what that link you posted is about hahah, your such a muppet!
You posted the same link twice, stupid, and it's an empty link.
Here are more REAL links to CHILE & ARGENTINA's claim on Antarctica and as you can see nothing to do with your bullshit ICJ.
Hands Off! UK Claims On Antarctica Rejected
news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Antarctic-Territory-Claims-Argentina-And-Chile-Join-Forces-Against-British-Claim-On-Region/Article/200903115236672
Chile, Argentina Lawmakers Stake Antarctic Claim
www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=73714
Chile and Argentina unite against UK Antarctic claim
www.euronews.net/2009/03/08/chile-and-argentina-unite-against-uk-antarctic-claim/
Still dodging your eyes stupid?
You must be a Kelper
So you didn't actually read the links then :)
I will post them again shall I:
www.icj-cij.org/docket/index.php?p1=3&p2=3&code=uka&case=26&k=cc (Aregtina)
www.icj-cij.org/docket/index.php?p1=3&p2=3&code=ukc&case=27&k=94
(chile)
And the ICJ catalogue of cases, just scroll down to the bottom 1955 UK vs Argentina, UK vs Chile :)
www.icj-cij.org/docket/index.php?p1=3&p2=2
Don't know where you got the idea there blank links hahah! When you reach the afor mentioned links follow these easy steps:
1. Click on the word “Application” can't miss it :)
2. Wait for the PDF to donwload.
3. Commence embarrassed silence procedure.
As for your other links? There nothing more than news stories about opposition to claims “FOR EXTENSION OF THE EEZ”
Not about who has Sovereignty :) I see nothing in those links which says that “Argentina and Chile” have sovereignty?
Do you just randomly post links in the vain hope that people obviously far more cleverer and more mature than a wee gobshite such as yourself.
I admit though your not a tool, my tool box contains far cleverer tools! Muppet!
How old are you... “Dean”?, you stupid kelper. How many aliases do you go by?
“…the Argentine Government has several times had occasion to indicate in notes addressd to Her Britannic Majesty's Embassy in Buenos Aires that it cannot consent to the question of sovereignty over the Antarctic territories of Argentina which it is sought to raise being referred for decision to any international Court of Justice or Arbitration Tribunal. By this present note, my Government reaffirms its refusal in the most express way with regard to the jurisdiction of this Court and with regard to any possibility that it should be seised as such to deal with case.”
NO JURISDICTION... CLOWN
And this crap is from half a century ago, times change, idiot Kelper.
Go stick your head back up that sheep's ass you came from.
So You do admit it is no longer an empty link, and you do admit a case was brought by the UK against both Chile and Argentina, in respect of sovereignty, and it was done in the ICJ :) Your silence on those points is music to my ears :)
Refusal to consent and saying the ICJ has no “Jurisdication” is political language for “we do not wiush to have our claim effectively Scrunitinised by a neutral body”? hahahh LOL IF Argentina was so sure that a hut allowed for it to claim several thousand square km of seabed and land, then you should have no probelem in the ICJ :) But you don't go and dragged your feet until the antartic treaty....very telling :)
And if the ICj had no jurisdiction, then why did you and Urguay go to the ICj in respect of the Pulp mills, and why did your insane President say she would take the UK to the ICJ this time last year over the Oil fiasco?
Half a centruy ago? OK then, I guess you should ignore your previous claims to the Falklands, they after all started centuries ago!!!! and times have changed since Kelpers inhabit them and have self-determination :)
Lol You are a contradiction Martin! And are a prime example as to why Argentina will NEVER gain sovereignty over OUR South Atlantic territories :)
What are you going to do? play rambo with the keyboard and tell me to go and shag a sheep hahaha lol! a contradiction.....and a pathetic loser!
Perhaps maybe one day the Motherland will reward you for your heroic use of the keyboard and how you spouted verbal diarrhea against an evil Kelper with a keyboard and name a street after you :) LOL!
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