MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

UK engineers and spares in P Arenas wait for Endurance

<i>Endurance </i>pax arriving onboard of <i>LM Casma</i> at Pta. Arenas <br>(Photo: Armada chilena)

Twenty four passengers from the stranded Royal Navy Ice Patrol HMS Endurance arrived Thursday morning to Punta Arenas on board the Chilean navy missile fast boat “Casma”.

Santiago's British embassy consular and defence staff were on hand to receive them, according to reports in the local press. The Endurance currently being towed by the Chilean tug "Beagle"suffered late Tuesday engine failure and flooding leaving her without main power and propulsion some 330 kilometres west of Punta Arenas, at the western access of the Magellan Strait, while sailing for Valparaiso. She's expected to arrive in Punta Arenas on Friday where she will undergo emergency repairs at the local shipyard. Naval engineers with spares were also expected to fly in from Britain to Punta Arenas to help with the recovery of the vessel that had scheduled to return to Antarctic activities in the second week of January. On announcing HMS Endurance was in distress the Chilean Navy dispatched the "Casma", the high seas pilots' vessel "Pudú", the tug "Beagle", plus air patrols and a Dauphine helicopter was on stand-by. The cruise vessel "Norwegian Sun" also in the area sailed in support but had to deal with its own emergency situation when a US citizen suffering from an encephalic haemorrhage condition had to be evacuated precisely by the Chilean support helicopter. Marcy Ketelsen, 47, from California underwent emergency brain surgery in the Magallanes Clinic and, according to the latest reports is recovering in intensive care. Once HMS Endurancearrives at the Asmar yard in Punta Arenas a true picture of the damage suffered will be possible. But Chilean Navy sources indicated that it will take two to three weeks before she's back sailing south to Antarctica.