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© AP
Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star opens a channel through the ice.
Australian 207-foot ship, the Antarctic Chieftain, hit ice up to 10 feet thick and suffered propeller damage near the Ross Sea

A rescue vessel is rushing to free a damaged Australian fishing ship with 27 people aboard which has become trapped in thick Antarctic ice.

The 207-foot ship, the Antarctic Chieftain, suffered propeller damage after hitting a chunk of ice on February 7 in an isolated region near the Ross Sea, south-east of New Zealand. The ship, which is used for harvesting Patagonian toothfish, became stranded in ice floes up to 10 feet thick and lacked the power to break free.

Les Scott, managing director of Tasmanian-based Australian Longline, which owns the ship, said an underwater video inspection showed three of the four propeller blade tips were damaged. None of the crew has been injured.

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Antarctic Chieftain
"In view of current ice charts and weather forecast, it is expected that ice will continue to build up, placing unacceptable risk to both crew and vessel safety," Mr Scott told Fairfax Media.

The US Coast Guard said the icebreaker Polar Star has diverted to rescue the Australian vessel and break through the ice. The Polar Star was some 300 nautical miles away and was due to reach the stranded vessel by Friday or Saturday. It will need to cut through thick ice floes and heavy snow and winds up to 35 miles per hour.

"The considerable geographic distances and extreme environmental conditions make this a complex rescue mission," said Captain Matthew Walker, commanding officer of the Polar Star.

A New Zealand fishing vessel, The Janus, is also headed to the area and will assist with towing.

The Polar Star last year was one of several ships deployed to break out the trapped Russian ship Akademik Shokalskiy, which eventually freed itself after its passengers were airlifted to safety.