Tag Archives: rescue
12 SNOWMOBILERS RESCUED FROM SEA ICE NEAR MOHNBUKTA: Tour group stranded on east coast due to surface water; all unharmed after rescue by governor’s helicopter

Photo of student researchers snowmobiling at Mohnbukta prior to this weekend by Richard Hann/UNIS
A group of 10 snowmobilers plus two Longyearbyen residents trying to help them were recused by helicopter after becoming stranded on the sea ice along the east coast of Svalbard near Mohnbukta due to large amounts of surface water, The Governor of Svalbard announced Saturday.
Officials with the governor’s office noted such areas can look deceptively safe for travel, but driving on the ice should be avoided under such conditions.
TURNING UP THE HEAT: Warm ship awaits as Børge Ousland and Mike Horn reach support team, but burning questions intensify about costly effort after they reject helicopter pickup

They’ve spent much of the past three months deeply and sometimes dangerously cold, but things are about to get very warm indeed as Børge Ousland and Mike Horn come off the sea ice north of Svalbard after skiing over the North Pole.
CHILLINGLY CLOSE: Ship struggles to reach polar explorers Børge Ousland and Mike Horn from ice north of Svalbard as they run out of food after three-month ski trip over North Pole

Down to their last day of food and suffering frostbite in temperatures of minus 40 degrees Celsius after spending three months skiing the Arctic ice over the North Pole, polar explorers Mike Horn and Børge Ousland found themselves separated by only a few kilometers from peers trying to reach them –but thwarted by an opening in the ice between them.
‘ROUTINE’ STORMY SVALBARD SEA RESCUE: 16 passengers lifted to helicopter after expedition ship gets stuck in ice
HELICOPTER HOVERING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD: Rescuers searching for missing hiker above homes mystifies residents

A helicopter hoving just above homes at Sukkertoppen and Gruvedalen near the center of Longyearbyen at about 10 p.m. Saturday prompted plenty of puzzled inquiries from residents below, as the aircraft was searching for a missing hiker who soon afterwards was located after being unable to communicate because his mobile phone battery was dead, according to The Governor of Svalbard.
Briefs from Svalbardposten for the week of Aug. 6, 2019
BAILING OUT: Two kayakers rescued after flooding leaves them in the water of Isfjorden for two hours
Briefs from Svalbardposten for the week of July 23, 2019
AN UNFORTUNATE FEW DAYS AT SEA: Passengers rescued from grounded sailboat, young man dies from epilepsy on cruise ship in third sea emergency in three days

Passengers were rescued from a sailboat that ran aground in Isfjorden and a young man on a cruise ship in northwest Spitsbergen died after a serious epilepsy attack, marking the second and third emergencies at sea in three days in the wake of a historic vessel that suffered engine room flooding from a leak near Pyramiden.
PERIL AT PYRAMIDEN: Historic seal-hunting boat takes on water at ice edge as 13 aboard prepare to abandon ship, but stays afloat until help arrives

A boat notorious for its former seal-hunting history that started taking in water in the engine room after suffering a leak Friday morning at the ice edge near Pyramiden had the 13 people aboard preparing to evacuate the vessel, but the crew was able to restart the engine and keep the water under control until emergency help arrived, according to the Joint Rescue Coordination Centres of Northern Norway.