Icebreaker sends out chopper

Thick ice surrounding a trapped Russian ship in the Antarctic proved too much for the rescue efforts of Chinese icebreaker Xuelong, or Snow Dragon, after the icebreaker dispatched a helicopter on Sunday to check the situation, China Central Television (CCTV) reported Sunday.

Xuelong has idled since midnight Friday after getting stuck in ice 6.1 nautical miles from the Russian ship, Akademik Shokalskiy, as it exceeds the ship's icebreaking capabilities.

The rescue was kicked off from Wednesday after the Xuelong received an emergency call from an Australian maritime rescue unit, according to China's State Oceanic Administration.

Although the rescue was still ongoing, the captain of the Russian ship has told the Chinese side that seeing Xuelong through the ship port hole every day is very cheering, CCTV reported Sunday.

Qu Tanzhou, director of the polar expedition office under the State Oceanic Administration, told the Global Times Sunday that the most of 74 passengers and crew on the Russia ship were visitors and they planned to see Antarctica as closely as possible until the unexpected cyclone trapped them in floating ice.

Xuelong was the closest ship when they made the emergency call, Qu said, adding that Xuelong had to suspend its original mission for at least six days in a bid to rescue them.

"When anyone gets in trouble or danger in the South Pole, the humanitarian consideration comes first," Qu said.

An Australian icebreaker is also on its way to rescue the Russian ship wedged in the Antarctic sea ice since last week and will reach the vessel around midnight Australia time on Sunday, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) told the Global Times.

"The rescue condition is improving since the ice is beginning cracking, a piece of promising news, which makes the rescue work easier," Lisa Martin, the AMSA spokeswoman told the Global Times on Sunday, adding that it's "possible " for Australia's Aurora Australis to finish the rescue.

Aurora Australis, the third icebreaker to attempt a rescue, has the highest icebreaking rate of the three vessels and can cut ice up to 1.6 meters thick. Akademik Shokalskiy is estimated to be surrounded by ice of between three and four meters, The Telegraph reported.

The most difficult thing for rescue is distance, since it would take the Australian vessel about two days to reach the Russian ship, Martin said.

If the Australian vessel could not carry out the rescue, a Chinese helicopter onboard of the Chinese ice breaker will collect the people out of the Russian ship, she said.

"We will also provide emergency relief and other assistance to the Russian ship to the best of our ability," Wang Jianzhong, captain of Xuelong, told the Xinhua News Agency on Friday.

The French icebreaker Astrolabe also failed in its rescue bid and didn't plan to be involved in any further rescue, Reuters reported on Saturday.