Antarctic rescuers give up on two lost in crevasse

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina - Rescue workers on Thursday called off a 12-day search for two Argentine men whose snowmobile plunged into a deep ice crevasse in Antarctica, saying there was little hope of finding them alive.

The rescuers then shifted their efforts to trying to find two Chilean soldiers who went missing in a similar accident on Wednesday on the same Antarctic peninsula.

The two Argentines - a scientist and a naval officer - were travelling between research bases when their vehicle plummeted through snow cover into a crack at least 130 metres deep.

"The Antarctic community prioritises life, but in this case the chances of rescuing them alive are nil," said Sergio Policastro, a spokesman for Argentina's National Antarctic Board.

The rescue team, which was lowered into the crevasse several times, had battled erratic weather, sub zero temperatures and poor visibility.

Policastro said there was a good chance the missing Chileans could be found alive after they fell into a 40-metre crevasse also while returning to a research base.

- REUTERS