Antarctic Chieftain fishing boat trapped in the Antarctica with 26 crew members

#toothfish #southernocean #polarstar #antarctica The Antarctic Chieftain fishing boat is trapped in the Antarctica because its propeller is broken. It has 26 crew members on board and all are trapped as reported in nzherald.co.nz dated 13 February 2015.
The 63-metre-long vessel owned by Australian Longline Pty has sought assistance from The Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ). Three out of four of its propellers are reportedly damaged by the ice. It has license to fish for toothfish in the Southern Ocean.
The vessel was about1700-Km from McMurdo Sound and US Coastguard icebreaker the Polar Star, was diverted to the site to help in the rescue operation. Talley's fishing vessel, Janas, was also heading to the area.
As per information, the Polar Star was about 630-Km to the west of the Antarctic Chieftain and was likely to reach the area later soon depending on progress and weather conditions.
It has been informed by US Coast Guard Vice Admiral Charles Ray, commander of Pacific Area, that the seas of Antarctica were "treacherous and unforgiving" and to reach the Antarctic Chieftain, the crew of Polar Star would have a tremendous task ahead to break through several miles of thick ice, endure winds and navigate through heavy snowfall.