Helicopter rescue planned for passengers on trapped Antarctic ship

Passengers of an icebound Russian ship near Antarctica will be evacuated by Chinese helicopter as soon as weather allows, Russian officials said Monday after a second icebreaker's attempt to rescue the trapped vessel failed.

Gusty snow showers hampered visibility Monday and forced back an Australian icebreaker that was struggling to reach the scientific expedition. A helicopter rescue attempt was also shut down by the weather.

The Aurora Australis made it to within 10 nautical miles of the MV Akademik Shokalskiy, which is stuck in an ice field, before retreating. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority said further rescue attempts could be made once the weather improves.

A Chinese vessel, the Snow Dragon, was the first icebreaker to attempt to free the Shokalskiy, which became stranded far south of Tasmania on Tuesday in ice driven by strong winds. The rescue attempt was foiled by blizzards and strong winds.

An update via Twitter Monday by Chris Turney, an Australian professor who helped organize the voyage, said "Shocking weather today. Wet & windy" after posting that the Aurora couldn't get through the ice after trying twice. 

Those aboard the ship seemed to be in good morale over the past week while icebound. Passengers posted photos, video messages to family and friends, and live updates on Twitter.

They mentioned seeing wildlife like penguins and leopard seals, and said that a few of the passengers even left the ship to walk on the thick ice.

The trapped ship left New Zealand on Nov. 28 on a privately funded expedition to commemorate the 100th anniversary of an Antarctic journey led by famed Australian explorer Douglas Mawson.

The ship's 74 passengers include scientists and tourists, many of them Australian, and what the Russian Foreign Ministry said were 22 Russian crew members.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), which is coordinating the rescue, said that the Snow Dragon would remain on standby until the Australian icebreaker the Aurora Australis reaches the MV Akademik Shokalskiy.

Jha said in a blog post Saturday that the worst-case scenario is an air rescue.

The Snow Dragon has a helicopter on board that can be used to rescue passengers if the Aurora Australis can not break through the ice, said AMSA spokeswoman Lisa Martin.

"The Aurora Australis is expected to arrive at the scene Sunday evening. It's pretty slow going out there," Martin said.

The third icebreaker, a French-flagged ship, is no longer involved in the rescue.

The Russian embassy in Australia has been in constant contact with the captain and said everyone on board was in good health and there was "no threat to their lives or safety."

The ship is trapped some 100 nautical miles east of French Antarctic station Dumont D'Urville and about 1,500 nautical miles south of Hobart, Tasmania.

Al Jazeera and Reuters