A cruise ship carrying 200 passengers became stuck in thick ice near Antarctica over the weekend before the United States Coast Guard rescued the ship.
The Australian-owned cruise line ship, Scenic Eclipse II, became trapped in dense ice while travelling through the Ross Sea on Friday at around 11pm.
Passengers were seen on the deck of the Scenic Luxury Cruises and Tours ship as the US Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star broke through the ice to perform the rescue mission on Saturday.
The Star’s crew made two close passes to the ship to break the ice surrounding it and freeing the cruisers, according to the coast guard.
A passenger on board, Steven Falk, wrote on Facebook: ‘We got stuck in sea ice that quickly froze to five feet thick, and were lucky that the icebreaker Polar Star was in the vicinity and could come cut us out. Without the icebreaker, this might have been an epic disaster.’
Falk said the cruiser was on an itinerary that was set to visit the Ross Sea, the Ross Ice Shelf, and the Shackleton and Scott huts near McMurdo Station.
‘Just hours before this happened, we were the southernmost ship on the planet and within just a few miles of the southernmost oceanic spot on earth,’ Falk added. ‘VERY lucky to have the icebreaker nearby is what I’m saying.’
The cruise ship, which is able to hold up to 228 passengers and 176 crew members, was escorted from the ice, around eight nautical miles from McMurdo Sound, to open water, according to a press release.
The Australian-owned cruise line ship, Scenic Eclipse II, became trapped in dense ice while travelling through the Ross Sea on Friday at around 11pm
Passengers were seen on the deck of the Scenic Luxury Cruises and Tours ship as the US Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star broke through the ice to perform the rescue mission on Saturday
The Star’s crew made two close passes to the ship to break the ice surrounding it and freeing the cruisers
According to the coast guard, the Polar Star had embarked on its 29th deployment in November from Seattle to Antarctica ‘in support of’ Operation Deep Freeze, which provides logistical support for the US Antarctic Program.
The Polar Star, commissioned in January 1976, is the Coast Guard’s ‘most powerful ship’ and the country’s ‘only heavy icebreaker,’ according to its website.
‘I am constantly amazed at this crew’s tremendous energy and enthusiasm,’ Captain Jeff Rasnake, Polar Star’s commanding officer, said in the release.
‘Despite the many challenges associated with getting and keeping this ship on mission, they remain eternally positive and committed to meeting the high standards we’ve set for ourselves.’
Dozens of Operation Deep Freese missions and numerous Arctic deployments have been completed by the Polar Star, according to the coast guard.
Its missions have included ‘defending U.S. sovereignty, securing critical shipping lanes, protecting energy and mineral resources, and countering our adversaries’ presence in the polar regions,’ the release stated.
‘Despite its age, the cutter continues to demonstrate unmatched heavy icebreaking capability, routinely operating in conditions few vessels can navigate.’
Commander Samuel Blase, Polar Star’s Executive Officer, said that the 50-year-old ship ‘remains the world’s most capable non-nuclear icebreaker.’
A passenger on board, Steven Falk, said: ‘We got stuck in sea ice that quickly froze to five feet thick, and were lucky that the icebreaker Polar Star was in the vicinity and could come cut us out. Without the icebreaker, this might have been an epic disaster’
Passenger Steven Falk said that the cruiser was on an itinerary set to visit the Ross Sea, the Ross Ice Shelf, and the Shackleton and Scott huts near McMurdo Station
The cruise ship, which is able to hold up to 228 passengers and 176 crew members, was escorted from the ice, around eight nautical miles from McMurdo Sound, to open water
‘That’s a testament to the crews that have maintained it over the decades. With years of service left to give, Polar Star will continue to guide the way in the high latitudes well into the future.’
Rasnake added that ‘there is no doubt that this is an amazing ship,’ and said: ‘Polar Star’s 50 years of service in the polar regions puts it in the discussion with other great Coast Guard icebreakers such as USCGC Glacier, whose record of Operation Deep Freeze deployments Polar Star matches this year.’
The press release stated that the Star’s 50th anniversary ‘serves as both a celebration of the past’ and a reminder of the ongoing and crucial work of the cutter in polar operations.
The Daily Mail reached out to Scenic Luxury Cruises and Tours for comment.
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