Watch: Russian rescues 139 fishermen who refused to leave iceberg without a catch
Credit: Russian Emergencies Ministry
A Russian emergency operation rescued 139 stranded fishermen who had initially refused help because they had not caught any fish.
The group drifted over a mile out to sea after the ice sheet they were standing on broke away from the shore of the remote far-eastern Sakhalin island on Wednesday.
An airlift rescue operation was launched with a helicopter and a hovercraft, but it appeared at least some of those trapped were reluctant to be taken off the ice.
Officials said the fisherman refused to leave 'under any circumstances' until they had caught some fish.
They were heard in footage arguing with rescuers and refusing to get in the helicopter.
The men were eventually rescued and were seen shielding themselves from the wind as they boarded the Mil Mi-8 helicopter.
Mikhail, one of the fishermen rescued, told Russian media many were worried about losing their equipment.
He said the group 'came to fish' and believed they would be saved eventually, or that new ice would form and they would be able to walk away.
The incident was reportedly the result of a 33ft crack of ice that appeared suddenly near the village of Malki. Some fisherman managed to escape immediately by jumping over the crevice before it became too wide.
It was unclear why so many fishermen had gathered at the remote location but emergency services had said 'some extreme sports enthusiasts' were among the group.
Rescuers said residents had been warned about setting foot on the ice by authorities as cracks were expected this week.
The region has seen similar incidents before. In 2020, Russian state media reported a group of over 500 fishermen had to be saved from an ice floe that had drifted out to sea.
In February 2024, at least 80 fishermen had to be rescued from a floating ice sheet near the village of Starodubskoye.
Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Boston Globe
a day ago
- Boston Globe
The man whose D-Day weather forecast saved the world
On June 6, 1944, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower ordered more than 150,000 Allied troops to storm the beaches of Normandy in one of the largest seaborne invasions in history. But hours before, Eisenhower's eyes were fixed not on the battlefield, but on the skies. More precisely, on the weather report laid out before him. And the meteorologist who had created it, described by his son as 'a dour irascible Scot,' had to get it right. 'The weather forecast was a go or no-go,' said Catherine Ross, a library and archive manager at the Met Office, the weather service for the United Kingdom. 'Everything else was ready.' Advertisement Success demanded a very specific set of conditions: ▪ Before the landings, the weather needed to be calm for 48 hours. ▪ For the three days following, the wind needed to stay below Beaufort Force 4, equivalent to a moderate breeze. ▪ Parachutists and other air support needed less than 30 percent cloud cover below 8,000 feet, with a cloud base no lower than 2,500 feet and visibility of over 3 miles. Advertisement ▪ A low tide at dawn was needed to expose German defenses. ▪ The invasion had to occur one day before or four days after a full moon for nighttime operations. ▪ Furthermore, the invasion had to align with the Soviet summer offensive in the East, to maximize pressure on German forces. The Allies identified a window: between June 5 and June 7. The odds were daunting. According to Ross, the likelihood of all the desired weather conditions aligning was 13-to-1— and roughly triple that once the full moon was added to the equation. Making matters worse, the beginning of June brought a spell of highly unsettled weather. 'There was a succession of low pressures and fronts coming across the Channel, and the challenge was trying to find a gap,' she said. 'Not just to allow them to invade, but to be able to get enough backup troops and supplies across.' The fifth 'was the ideal day,' Eisenhower recalled in an interview 20 years later. But the date was subject to last-minute revision in the event of bad weather. The man tasked with delivering that all-important forecast was Stagg, the chief meteorological adviser to Eisenhower from the British Meteorological Office. He was responsible for producing a unified forecast based on input from three independent groups, two British and one American. With today's advanced forecasting, and the help of supercomputers, satellites, and a range of sophisticated models, meteorologists can produce fairly accurate predictions several days in advance. But there was no unified approach to forecasting in 1944. The American team, part of the newly formed US Strategic Air Forces based near Eisenhower's headquarters in southwest London, employed analog forecasting, a method that compared current conditions to historical weather patterns. The British teams relied on hand-drawn charts, observational data and, newer understandings of upper-atmosphere patterns. These approaches often clashed. Advertisement 'At the time, it was very much an evolving science that evolved in different ways in different countries,' said Dan Suri, a meteorologist at the Met Office. Suri said that some of these methods remain in use today, albeit digitally. 'Aspects of what they did still feature, and the D-Day forecasters would recognize aspects of what they did in what we do today,' he said. James Stagg's job was not just scientific, but diplomatic — a delicate act of balancing contrasting forecasts from the American and British teams, and shaping them into a coherent narrative with a single decisive recommendation for Eisenhower. 'That wasn't always entirely possible,' Suri said. 'He had quite a difficult job, really.' Ahead of the invasion, tensions rose between the forecasting teams. Transcripts from the daily telephone discussions among Stagg, the general, and the three forecasting teams revealed a strong difference of opinions among the groups. The American meteorologists believed that June 5 or 6 would offer suitable weather. The British, however, opposed June 5. 'He had to make the decision of which side he was going to go with,' Ross said, 'and take that to Eisenhower.' According to professor Julian Hunt in his book 'D-Day: The Role of the Met Office,' a high-pressure system over the Atlantic Ocean and a strong storm near northern Scotland were expected to cause rough seas and excessive cloud cover in the English Channel on June 5. James Stagg delivered his decision: Gales would sweep through Normandy, making landings impossible. 'He gave us the worst report you ever saw,' Eisenhower later recalled. Convoys that had already set off were ordered to turn back. Advertisement But by June 4, forecasts indicated that the storm system would shift northeast, giving way to a brief period of calmer conditions June 6. Still, Stagg was uncertain. His diary reveals his doubt: 'I am now getting rather stunned— it is all a nightmare.' Ross said the decision to go ahead was a compromise. 'It was a question of, will the sixth be good enough? And the call was, yes, it will be good enough. But it was a challenge.' Eventually, the American and British meteorologists moved toward consensus for June 6. On the evening of June 4, Stagg returned with the more optimistic forecast. Eisenhower later described a 'little grin on his face.' 'We hoped that with this break, we could do it,' Eisenhower later said. After a brief moment of contemplation—'about 45 seconds,' he recalled— he gave the order that would change the course of history: 'OK, we'll go.' The invasion went ahead June 6, 1944, but the forecast turned out to be off the mark. Suri said that, instead of moving northeast, the storm over northern Scotland shifted southward into the North Sea, weakening as it did. This unexpected change allowed winds to ease slightly, and visibility improved as the front over northern France moved away. 'That's why things got better,' Suri said. 'So they were right for the wrong reasons.' But conditions were windy, and the seas remained rough. Many of the first troops to cross the English Channel had 'considerable seasickness,' The Associated Press wrote, and the strong winds whipped up whitecaps, making the journey to the beaches even more punishing. Advertisement The marginal weather may have given the Allies a vital edge. In the aftermath of the invasion, as the weight of its success came into focus, the full significance of the meteorological gamble became clear. In a memorandum accompanying an official report to Eisenhower, Stagg reflected on just how close they had come to disaster. Had the invasion been postponed to the next suitable tides, the troops would have faced the Channel's worst storm in 20 years. 'Thanks,' Eisenhower wrote in response. 'And thank the Gods of war we went when we did.' This article originally appeared in
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Pisgah Class of 2025 embodies resiliency
Jun. 4—Resiliency. It's a word that has defined Haywood County's easternmost town, particularly over the last few years. Between catastrophic floods only three years apart and the closure of the town's mill, folks from Canton have faced it all. While the whole town has faced those struggles, this year's graduating class from Pisgah High School has been particularly challenged. While struggling to get through high school is difficult enough, having these disasters thrown on top only made it tougher. Those students celebrated that resilience during commencement ceremonies Friday evening, May 30, at Western Carolina University's Ramsey Center. "We made it. It might sound like a simple phrase, but after everything we've been through, those three words carry a lot of weight," graduate Carter Francoeur said. "We went through things most schools and classes can never dream of facing." Even before these seniors reached high school, they were facing the COVID pandemic that had plagued the world. Then their first year of high school was marred by Tropical Storm Fred's floodwaters, which devastated their community. "We really never knew what normal meant because the first flood was our freshman year. We had to show perseverance and make sure we had our ducks in a row," Francoeur said. Outside of floods, the graduates missed time at one point when a hacker compromised the school system's network and demanded the district pay a ransom. "Through a global pandemic, devastating floods and even that random Russian who shut down our school for a week, we learned to adapt, to overcome and to keep moving forward," graduate Mable James said during her commencement speech. Then, in the group's senior year, it happened again with Helene bringing heavy rainfall and flooding to the mountains — causing devastating results and forcing students to miss school days once again. "It was a little different, especially with missing a month of school because of one flood and two months of school because of another flood," said graduate Samuel Payne. While students might not have been at school, they were still staying active in the community they hold dear. "Me and my church did a lot of flood recovery and helping people with their houses," said Payne, who plans to major in fish and wildlife management at Haywood Community College. "I saw a lot of these same guys I'm out here with graduating today out there too. It just shows how much the community means to these guys." While everyone faced challenges as a community, most faced challenges in their personal lives, as well. Some of those moments turned into humorous memories for the graduates looking back. "When we did my first chorus concert, I got up there and played guitar and started in the wrong key," Payne said. "My friends all turned and looked at me like, 'What the heck are you doing man?' We ended up playing that whole song in the wrong key. It was a good moment. Nobody knew it but us." Making it through all of that made reaching graduation that much sweeter for this year's class. "We've been through more than most other graduating classes and still made it. It felt good," said graduate Eli Turner. It also proved to the graduates that they can overcome whatever obstacle is in their way. "To me, graduation meant proof," said graduate Rebecca Terrell. "Proof that I could commit, endure and succeed, even when it was hard. It was a moment to acknowledge how far I'd come, both academically and personally. It meant that the version of myself who started this journey had evolved into someone stronger, wiser and more capable." Through all of this, the class of 2025 built on an already strong sense of camaraderie, not only among themselves but within their community. "I am so proud to be a black bear, and I know that Pisgah High School will always be a part of us, no matter where life leads," James said. For some, that's a feeling of togetherness that has been building since the day they were born. "It's meant a lot," said Francoeur, a Goodnight Scholarship recipient who plans to major in pre-med biology at N.C. State University. "All my family has been at Pisgah for years and years. I grew up going to all the football and basketball games with my grandfather." All that hard work in the classroom and away from it has paid off in a big way. As of May 21, the graduating class had racked up nearly $2 million in scholarship money. While that money is impressive, even more of the students will be going straight into the workforce or into the military — helping the community in ways outside of higher education. When asked what was next for him, Turner said "probably work." "I don't have to wake up and go to school every day and can work and make money and be more," Turner said. Beyond that, the graduates were molded into young adults by the four years of hardships, adaptability and fond memories. "That resilience became part of who we are," Francoeur said. Pisgah seniors recognized their most influential teacher during commencement, awarding the honor to W.C. Godfrey, who works in career and technical education. Math teacher Kristy Sorrells was named the school's teacher of the year by her fellow instructors. About 220 Pisgah graduates received their diplomas during the ceremony.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Afternoon Briefing: Air quality alert issued due to Canadian wildfires
Good afternoon, Chicago. An air pollution action day was called this morning for the Chicago area and is in effect until midnight, weather officials said. Officials issued an alert as air quality is expected to reach unhealthy levels in all of Wisconsin until noon tomorrow, but the coverage area was expanded to include parts of northeast Illinois. This was the first air quality warning for the Chicago area as Canadian wildfires continue. The fires have forced thousands of Canadians to flee their homes and sent smoke as far as Europe. Here's what else is happening today. And remember, for the latest breaking news in Chicago, visit and sign up to get our alerts on all your devices. Subscribe to more newsletters | Asking Eric | Horoscopes | Puzzles & Games | Today in History The Chicago Teachers Union is threatening to sue the Chicago Board of Education over budget plans proposed by outgoing schools chief Pedro Martinez that it says constitute unfair labor practices and violations of the recently ratified contract. Read more here. More top news stories: Charges dropped against Harvey Ald. Colby Chapman, arrested at April City Council meeting Former Geminus employee sentenced to two years for stealing federal funds If McDonald's ever doubted it needed to bring back the Snack Wrap, consider this: Nine years after the fast-food powerhouse discontinued the item in the U.S., customers have continued to order it at drive-thrus. Read more here. More top business stories: Ford posts May sales gain with employee discounts for all Hindu temple complex/residential development in Elgin gets thumbs-down from commission The Chicago Blackhawks gave a sneak peek of the Fifth Third Arena expansion to the media Tuesday — still a skeletal collection of steel beams, HVAC systems and construction dust — but they dropped some meatier news during the tour: The Chicago Steel are coming. Read more here. More top sports stories: Chicago Cubs rely on timely hits and Michael Busch's near cycle in 8-3 win: 'He's always patient' Shane Smith's curveball is an effective weapon in Chicago White Sox's 8-1 win over Detroit Tigers The exhibit is smartly centered on the endless interpretations of Spider-Man the Character who, despite being 64 years old, yet still a teenage spider, has remained remarkably mutable. Read more here. More top Eat. Watch. Do. stories: 'Stick' review: Owen Wilson scores in a comedy about golf, mentorship and picking yourself up from your lowest lows Column: Groucho Marx, playing one night only in the Loop President Donald Trump said that Russian President Vladimir Putin told him 'very strongly' in a phone call today that he will respond to Ukraine's weekend drone attack on Russian airfields. Read more here. More top stories from around the world: The Dutch government has collapsed. What happens next? Tom Girardi, estranged husband of 'Real Housewives' star, gets 7 years in prison for stealing millions from clients
