A ship which became trapped in ice while on a scientific mission to Antarctica is about to be reached by a rescue vessel, scientists hope.
Those on board the Academic Shokalskiy have spotted the Chinese icebreaker The Snow Dragon on the horizon.
Some 74 people are on the ship, being used by the Australian Antarctic Expedition to try to follow in the footsteps of explorer Douglas Mawson.
They have been stuck in the same spot since Christmas Eve and are hoping the Chinese vessel will be able to cut through the ice and allow them passage to open waters.
British Professor Chris Turney, who is leading the expedition, said the team had managed to achieve some important research before getting into difficulty.
A number of tourists are also on the ship, which left New Zealand in late November and is now in Antarctica's Commonwealth Bay.
Professor Turney said the ship got into difficulty after satellite data showed their route onward would be safe.
He told Sky News: "Unfortunately, although the satellite data showed the sea ice was open and the weather was quite good, conditions were changing when we got back to the ship.
The MV Academic Shokalskiy is trapped in Commonwealth Bay "By the end of the day, the wind had picked up and the sea ice was moving around a lot and, in spite of the captain's best efforts, we realised we just couldn't get through.
"On Christmas Eve, he made the call, and issued the alert for help.
"At the moment, very excitingly, we've just seen the Chinese icebreaker Snow Dragon on the horizon.
"It's around nine nautical miles from the vessel. It's not quite here yet but at least we can see it, which is a huge improvement on our prospects."
Professor Turney said the scientists on board the Shokalskiy have been taking readings and measurements so they can be compared with those taken by Mawson and his team in 1913.
Although Mawson, who was knighted later for leading his expedition, never reached the South Pole, he carried out important research and explored previously unknown lands.
:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.
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