Russian icebound trawler Cape Elizabeth, trapped in the Sea of Okhotsk in Russia's Far East, was rescued on Wednesday, a spokesman for Far East Shipping Company said.
On Friday, December 31, the Sodruzhestvo fishery mother ship, the refrigerator freighter Bereg Nadezhdy, and a scientific research ship, the Professor Kizevetter, requested help. There are some 400 crew members on board the vessels.
Cape Elizabeth was caught in ice in Russia's Sea of Okhotsk on Monday with 78 crew members on board.
The stranded ship was freed by the Admiral Makarov icebreaker at around noon local time (02:00 GMT), the spokesman said, adding that Admiral Makarov would continue to rescue other ships after the vessel was taken to open waters.
One of Russia's biggest ice entrapments for years was caused by a spell of unusually cold weather of up to -17 degrees Centigrade (-1.4 degrees Fahrenheit). Weather forecasts are unfavorable, saying temperatures may plunge even further.
The Sakhalin Bay in the Far East is believed to be one of the most dangerous marine regions of the Okhotsk Sea with few clear water gaps on the surface. However seamen continue to risk their lives to gain high profits of fishing there.
VLADIVOSTOK, January 5 (RIA Novosti)
