Vessel reported sunk in the Bellot Strait
by Daria Blackwell 30 Aug 2018 10:09 UTC
Bellot Strait © Wikimedia Commons
In the late hours of 28 August, the ice converged into Depot Bay and boats decided to move to different places. In the process ANAHITA got into a difficult combination of currents and flowing ice floes.
There was a hull breach and the vessel was reported to be taking on water. SAR Trenton confirmed ANAHITA's EPIRB stopped sending signals indicating the boat had sunk.
The nearest icebreaker was about 12 hours away coming from Committee Bay after another rescue to a ship aground. The tug was unable to reach them and turned back. The crew of unknown number was reportedly picked off ice floe by ATIKA and SAUVAGE according to SAR Trenton, but this was unconfirmed. The situation is very serious.
All yachts are reported safe on the eastern side of Long Island.
Additional information 30-08-18:
CCGS Larsen helicopter picked two stranded individuals off ice floe and they appeared unharmed. The conditions were rather heavy fog with little wind. They had spent 11 hours on the ice floe and they were lucky no Polar Bears spotted them. In that time span the ice floe traveled westbound in Bellot and eastbound.