In 2013 Chris Turney led a scientific expedition to Antarctica, on the ship Shokalskiy – a polar research ship. It became trapped in the ice on Christmas Eve 2013, when the hull was pierced by a tower of ice. Fierce blizzards and roaming icebergs thwarted attempts to rescue the 71 people on board – who included Turney’s wife and children. This is a fascinating story of the drama, with the ice closing in and the hopes of rescue growing dim. They were stuck for over a week. Even the rescue is tense – will the ice break as the Chinese helicopter lands to collect them…?? And it’s more too – we learn about the latest scientific findings from Antarctica, and about famous explorers of Antarctica like Shackleton, Mawson, Scott and Ross who had to contend with similar situations without radio communications or helicopters to bail them out
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