Akademik-S.-Vavilov

Royal Navy and Royal Air Force personnel based in the Falkland Islands conducted a long-range rescue of a British man from the "Akademik Sergei Vavilov" on Nov 26, 2015. The ship was visiting South Georgia, 800 nautical miles to the east of the Falklands, when the man was bitten by what was thought to have been a fur seal at Salisbury Plain Beach. The man was in a serious condition with a major injury to his arm and urgent specialist medical attention was needed. AN SAR helicopter from the Falkland Islands was dispatched an accompanied by a Royal Air Force Hercules tactical transport aircraft. As part of the rescue operation, the Royal Navy offshore patrol vessel HMS "Clyde" sailed at high speed to a position 200 nautical miles east of Stanley in the Falkland Islands to serve as a refueling station for the helicopter. After arriving at the "Akademik Sergey Vavilov", the Royal Air Force helicopter hovered overhead while the crew winched the injured passenger aboard to an awaiting British military doctor. Report with photos: http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/cruises/2015/11/30/cruise-ship-rescue-falklands/76554940/

Travel Blackboard reports, that Akademik Sergey Vavilov will join Akademik Ioffe as the second polar expedition vessel for One Ocean Expeditions next November. The Russian Academy of Science built both ships in the late 1980’s with Vavilov offering 92 berths onboard. “This addition to our fleet was both necessary and timely for OOE. It is necessary because our 2011/12 season has almost completely sold out and we definitely need a second vessel. It is timely because the opportunity to take the Vavilov now puts us in a leading position with the two best expedition vessels in the world,” said Mr Prossin, founder of OOE.