Reindeer Herders Evacuated From Floating Ice In Laptev Sea On Helicopter - Rescuers

YAKUTSK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th November, 2018) Rescuers evacuated reindeer herders from a drifting ice floe in the Laptev Sea to a safe place on a helicopter, the Emergencies Ministry of Russia's Yakutia region reported on Sunday.

On Saturday, eight community reindeer herders from the Bolshoy Lyakhovsky Island of the Bulunsky District of Yakutia went on ice fishing and were carried off into the sea on an ice floe. They maintained contact via satellite and were able to communicate their coordinates.

Because of the bad weather, a helicopter with rescuers flew out of Yakutsk as late as Sunday morning.

"The reindeer herders were evacuated ... they will land in the gorge of Kazachye. Everyone is alive, in a satisfactory condition, they will undergo a medical examination, receive medical assistance for serious injuries if needed, they will be delivered to Ust-Kuyga," the ministry said.

The rescue operation involved five rescuers and an Mi-8 helicopter of the Khabarovsk Air Rescue Center.