Chile navy rescues 4 Brazilians from Antarctic shipwreck

Four Brazilian filmmakers were rescued off the Antarctic coast by the Chilean navy after their ship became stuck in the ice, reported Agence France-Presse. Officials said all on board were safe after their vessel, Mar Sem Fim (Endless Sea), ended up trapped in icy, windy conditions near the Chilean Antarctic naval base.

The ship is owned by journalist and former president of Radio El Dorado João Lara Mesquita, who was in the region producing a documentary, according to MercoPress. The Brazilian navy said the wreck probably occurred due to the compression of the vessel by an accumulation of ice and the 120 km (75 miles) winds, which stopped it from moving.

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Mesquita praised the navy for the "risky maneuver," according to AFP, and said "they handled the situation in a controlled manner when the wind was very strong."

The boat capsized on Saturday near the Chilean base, about 1,200 kilometers (750 miles) south of the tip of South America, reported AFP. The documentary the team was filming is about navigation and the landscape of Antarctica.

Chilean and Brazilian personnel are working to stop debris from the incident from drifting and also to impede any possible oil spill, according to MercoPress. Chilean authorities said the four Brazilians were flown to Punta Arenas, Chile, where they are scheduled to return home on a commercial flight.