The U.S. Coast Guard has come to the rescue of an icebound cruise ship during an Antarctica expedition cruise.
The Scenic Eclipse II ship required assistance to free it from pack ice.
Luckily, the US Coast Guard Cutter ship, Polar Star was just a few nautical miles away.
“Polar Star’s crew conducted two close passes to break the vessel free, then escorted it approximately four nautical miles to open water,” the US Coast Guard said.
Cruise ship owner Scenic Group said the ship became stuck due to changing conditions in the pack ice.
It said the captain requested assistance to ‘clear the area together and avoid a longer sailing period at reduced speed.’
“We were grateful for the professionalism and cooperation of the crew of USCG Polar Star during our operations in the Ross Sea,” said Captain James Griffiths, Scenic Group’s General Manager Ocean Operations.
The cruise ship had departed from Hobart, Tasmania, and ends in New Zealand later this week.
