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Airdrop saves stranded ship

A British deep-sea fishing boat which had broken down in Antarctic pack ice two weeks ago restarted its engines on Sunday night after receiving an emergency airdrop from a U.S. Air Force plane. An engine breakdown meant the Argos Georgia had been unable to continue its pursuit of Patagonian toothfish in the Ross Sea since before Christmas.

Two previous attempts to deliver a spare piston had failed, leaving those on board to while away the time playing cards.

On Sunday a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster, flying in at just over 100 metres above the ice, finally managed to drop the replacement beside the ship. The package also contained a 9 kg box of chocolates for the crew.

The Argos Georgia broke down on December 23 amid thousands of square miles of drifting ice. Speaking from on board, the vessel’s fishmaster, Shane Jennings, 41, said he was “extremely relieved.” The past fortnight, he explained, had been “boring for the crew, but it’s just part of the job.”

Mr. Jennings, a fisherman since he was 14, added: “It is pretty unusual to break down. The engine and stuff on board are a pretty high standard because we fish so far from land.”

The rescue mission was organised by the New Zealand Rescue Coordination Centre, which called on the U.S. Air Force for help. Ships would have taken too long to reach them. Lieutenant General Loyd S. Utterback, commander of Operation Deep Freeze — the regular re-supplying of U.S. Antarctic bases — said: “Considering the unforgiving climate, we recognised the potential for this to become a life or death situation. Quick action was needed and versatile airpower was the response.” — ©Guardian Newspapers Limited, 2008

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