Russian Emergency Ministry Rescues Over 100 Fisherman Stranded on Ice Flow
Russian officials are reporting an unusual rescue mission to save fishermen from an ice flow that had broken away in eastern Russia on the Sea of Okhotsk. The rescue was completed successfully but not without some drama as some of the fishermen said they were not leaving under any circumstances without their catch.
First reports indicated as many as 300 people might have been stranded on the drifting on the snow covered ice flow. A 10-meter (more than 30 feet) long crack developed in the ice after the fishermen and extreme sports enthusiasts had set out from a small village on the Kamchatka Peninsula. The ice flow was reported to be drifting endangering the fishermen.
The Emergency Ministry reports 31 specialists and 17 units were dispatched and they used a Mi-8 helicopter and a Khivus helicopter. The authorities had to convince the extreme sports enthusiasts of the danger and to abandon their positions.
In the final count, 109 people were removed from the ice flow. The helicopter evacuated 44 people back to land while 65 were taken aboard the hovercraft.
Winter fishing is a popular sport in the Sakhalin region along the Pacific coast. The region is known for its harsh winters. In the past, the rescue services have also had to go to the aid of vessels that become trapped in the winter ice flows.
Photos: Four Fishermen Rescued After Deadly Capsizing Off South Korea
Five crewmembers from a South Korean fishing vessel are dead after a sudden capsizing in the East China Sea, according to the Korea Coast Guard, and five more remain missing.
In the early hours of Sunday morning, the fishing vessel 22 Seokyung was under way east of Habaekdo Island in foul weather. At about 0140 hours, the vessel capsized suddenly, forcing crewmembers to leap into the water. The vessel had no time to make a distress call.
Good Samaritan fishing vessels and first responders from the Korea Coast Guard have retrieved the body of the captain and four other deceased crewmembers from the sea; one small Korea Coast Guard rescue boat capsized during the search and rescue effort, but the personnel aboard escaped unharmed.
Four survivors were found in a liferaft and were delivered to shore for treatment for hypothermia and minor injuries.
Images courtesy Korea Coast Guard
Video courtesy Korea Coast Guard
An additional five crewmembers remain missing, and the survivors suggested that some of them were likely trapped belowdecks during the capsizing. In case any others may have survived, the Korea Coast Guard has mounted a large-scale search with more than 30 vessels (including good Samaritans). Continued foul weather has made the operation challenging, but the team is attempting to cover an area measuring about 35 nautical miles by 50 nautical miles around Habaekdo.
Despite rough surface conditions, a sonar survey of the wreck site has already been completed, and it shows that the vessel came to rest upright on the bottom. The superstructure appears nearly intact in 80 meters of water. An ROV survey is planned to evaluate the wreck, but has been postponed until better weather arrives.
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