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Argentine navy rescues US scientists from Antarctica

The Argentine navy has rescued four US scientists and a contractor from an Antarctic camp after the US icebreaker due to pick them up could not reach them because of thick sea-ice.

The five were carrying out research on Joinville Island off the north-eastern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula.

All five are in good health after being airlifted by helicopter onto the Argentine icebreaker Almirante Irízar.

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Rescuing the team and 400kg (880lb) of equipment took two-and-a-half hours.

The US Antarctic Programme had requested help from the Argentine navy after its research vessel Laurence M Gould encountered thick sea-ice 13km (8 miles) off Joinville Island.

The ARA Almirante Irízar was at Carlini Base, a research station on King George Island, when it received the request, the Argentine Foreign Ministry said.

It then made its way to Joinville through “ice of considerable thickness”.

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The Argentine navy published a video of the helicopter rescue on its Twitter account.

Argentine officials said that the US team would be transferred to the Laurence M Gould as soon as weather conditions allowed.

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This story is from The BBC News. To read the full story, please go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-43384867.

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