Two of five crew on missing yacht Berserk located in the Antarctic

by Sail-World Cruising round-up on 25 Feb 2011 The two crew of the missing yacht Berserk who had landed on the Antarctic to make an overland journey to the South Pole have been located and are now in contact with those searching for their missing yacht.

Jarle Andhøy, Berserk’s captain, phoned to say he is on the ice travelling back from his expedition to the South Pole.

'He and 18-year-old Samuel Massie are expected to reach the Scott Base in a two or three days,' Geir Mortensen, press spokesperson for Joint Rescue Centre Northern Norway, said today.

Both were approximately 100 miles from the base at the time, according to a Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) press release, and provided information to help rescuers in their attempts to find the missing vessel.

Samuel Massie also contacted his mother by phone last night Norwegian time. 'It's the most amazing call I have had in my life. I only talked to him for a minute, and he’s fine. I don’t know when he will be back home, but the important thing now is that Samuel is in good shape', Samuel's mother commented after the call
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Meanwhile, the search for the Berserk and its three remaining crew, two Norwegians and a British national, continues.

MNZ reports weather conditions in the McMurdo Sound area to be near-perfect. Personnel aboard the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’s ‘Steve Irwin’ and Heritage Expedition’s ‘Professor Kromov’ Russian ship are assisting in the search.

As reported previously in Sail-World the Berserk sent a distress call on Tuesday night approximately 17 nautical miles north of Scott Base in the Ross Sea.

Authorities at the Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ) originally asked for help from the Navy patrol vessel HMNZS Wellington, but when it arrived in the location there was no sign of the missing vessel. Then bad weather forced it to turn back.

Berserk’s emergency beacon has stopped transmitting and fears are held for the safety of the three crew.