we heard from the "aurora australis" early hours of the this morning, around 2 o'clock. it was making good progress. we have been keeping in regular contact. i was at the bridge. it's somewhere around 80 nautical miles, making good progress - four to five knots. and we suggested based on our observations yesterday the ship may have been better to come in from the east or south-east. there's a real possibility that the vessel may not reach us. it looks like from the latest information that not only do we have bad winds, but it's a break-out of ice from the glacier where we are working. some is old. hence why it's so thick. yes, we have enough food and water. everyone is very warm. we have plenty of fuel on board. we have shy of two weeks worth of fresh food. after that if it gets desperate we have weeks and weeks of dehydrated food in package. i'll be a little worried about mar article at that point. >> earlier we spoke to lisa martin with the australian maritime safety authority, which is leading the rescue efforts. >> the "aurora australis" is around 20 nautical miles e

>> hi, the "aurora australis" is around 20 nautical miles east of the russian ship. it's making way, but slowly, due to the ice and the weather conditions, there are snow showers at the moment and there's poor visibility, >> do we expect the rescue ship to make it to the russian ship? >> it's uncertain. it's very complex situation and incident that we are dealing with, due to the area and the train and that sort of thing. at this stage we are waiting and seeing, seeing how it progresses with the weather conditions, and with the ice conditions as well. >> what happens next, if the rescuers cannot reach them by boat. what is the plan next? >> the next plan is to use the helicopter on the chinese vessel, which the rescue coordination centre in australia tasked to stay in the area because of the helicopter. >> and actually evacuate the ship and leave the ship behind. . >> at this stage we are aware that some of the russian crew will stay with the vessel, but the expedition passengers will be taken off by helicopter if that's the plan we go to. >> lisa, if you can't updat

if those - if the "aurora australis" is not able to get any closer than the chinese vessel, then it may be a case of transferring those people off the academic ship. >> evacuating the ship is a possibility? >> it is one of the options at the moment, yes. >> what would happen to the ship? would they evacuate the crew, would someone be left behind? would the ship be abandoned? >> that is something to be determined. the rescue coordination centre remains in contact with the masters of all the vessels and will continue to do so today. >> we saw reports and video from aboard the ship, from passengers and crew members who seem to be taking it in stride. they are in good spirits. is there danger here. could the ice get so thick and powerful that it could damage the ship. >> look, it is - it does have its dangers down there. obviously this is a very, sort of, unpredictable environment, and there are inherent risks. hopefully the ice will remain as it is, and the vessel will remain stable and safe with all on board safe at the moment. so, you know, that's great news. >> hopefully the australian

the icebreaker called aurora australis is more powerful than a chinese ship that is already in the area>> now we're doing a bit of reconnaissance around the area to see what is the best route make for the aurora australis to come through. >> if the australian ship can't clear a path, the chinese ship has a helicopter that could be used to take people to safety. the stuck vessel reportedly has plenty of food and supplies. >>> former race car driver michael schumacher is in a medically-induced coma after a skiing accident in france. he was rushed to the hospital yesterday. he had immediate brain surgery. doctors say they are taking things hour by hour and cannot predict the outcome. he fell on his head and suffered a serious injury despite wearing a helmet. the 44-year-old retired last year from formula 1 racing. >>> it is 5:45. i wish we had a lot of traffic to talk about. liz has it easy-peasy this morning. >> there are a few more cars on the road today than last week christmas week but yeah, it is still quieter than normal. we like that. here's the nimitz freeway. we have overnight roa

finally, 74 people aboard the overwrought australis -- aurora australis are planning to begin the new year in antarctica. the ship has been stuck for a week in at the sacrifice. the latest attempt to airlift the crew and the people on board the ship has not worked. helicopter did take off from an icebreaker, chinese icebreaker a few miles away from the russian ship, but unfortunately extreme weather conditions do not allow it to complete its mission. there have been 3 separate attempts by icebreakers to reach the russian ship and the ice is so thick that it has not been possible until now. formula one legend michael schumacher has been put into an artificial, as he continues to fight for his life after a skiing accident on sunday. the 44-year-old underwent brain surgery in a hospital on monday and remains in critical condition. doctors treating the seven-time world champion announced that had he not worn a helmet in his fall, the impact of the rock would've killed him. post members of his family are at his bedside -- close members of his family are at his bedside. tennis now. a winnin

these explorers hope that the "aurora australis," located 100 miles away can free them. >> it is making way, but very slowly, due to the ice, as well as the weather conditions. there are snow showers at the moment and it is poor visibility out there. >> despite being stuck in 13 miles of ice, 10 feet thick, a ship is not in danger of sinking. chris turney is a leader and said in a skype interview from the ship that even though they are at a frozen standstill, the 74 reachers crew say they are doing fine. moral is high. >> it sounds worse than it is. everyone else, i'll reassure you is comfortable below decks, where they are having a cup of tea or coffee. >> we have enough food and water. we have plenty of fuel on board. we have shy of two weeks worth of fresh food. >> if the ice breaker is unsuccessful the next text will involve using an ice breaker. >> the thick ice is a common hazard for ships travelling through the area where ships can travel at slow speeds. >> more than 1.1 million have signed up for health insurance using healthcare.gov. more than 975,000 enrolled in december alone

if a final push by a second ice breaker "the aurora australis" fails, a rescue flight will be attempted> the idea will be that the helicopter would fly from "snow dragon," evacuate the people to the "aurora" ice breaker and then they'd go to the australian antarctic base. >> reporter: the "akademik shokalskiy" is 1,500 miles south of tasmania. the "snow dragon" got as close as six miles but had to retreat or risk being trapped. the ice also stopped the "aurora" which is 17 miles away. earlier today, passengers thought a way out was forming. >> that ice is definitely cracking down there. is it enough to get us out? >> i hope so. >> reporter: but the ice quickly closed again. the 74 scientists, crews, and tourists on board have weathered the delay in warm comfort. there's enough food to last for weeks. passengers have ventured on to the ice to continue their research. >> we're just keeping ourselves busy in the meantime, working to keep morale up. >> reporter: a u.s. coast guard ice breaker "the polar star" is also in the area but it would take 12 days for it to reach the stranded ship. m

. >> the "aurora australis," the australian research and supply vessel has a slightly greater ice rating than the chinese vessel. for that to observe today, sunday, here in australia, they'll assess the situation and report to the rescue coordination centre in australia behind me before the next decision is ma. >> passengers say 74 people on board are in good continue. not a good place toe about struck. >> we have to talk play-offs. >> it's a huge day. >> eight teams clinched one of 12 aavailable spots. as many as 10 teems have a chance to qualify, setting up an epic sunday afternoon of football. here are important point, starting with the nfc, when there are three different scenarios. the winner between the cowboys and eagles clemping the nec east, the winners between the bears and pakkers in the north, and the losers eliminate from the play-offs. the saints with a win over tampa pay with a chance to win the south division. back to the dallas cowboys. >> that leaves this game in the hands of others. they made 69 starts with 39 and 34. he hasn't throw a starter pass. there's no doubt abo

the hope lies in the powerful resupply ship "aurora aust australis." they are in no immediate danger. they have weeks of supply. they are just stuck. >> parts of moscow are lit up. natural light lasts six hours and it's later in the day since the county abandoned daylight savings. many lived their lives, morning to night, in what appears to be darkness. peter sharp reports on how it's changed. >> waky, waky, it's nearly 10 o'clock. ever since the kremlin scrapped daylight saving time the people here face 18 hours of darkness a day through the winter, going without seeing a trace of blue sky or sunlight for months. for the people of moscow the daily walk to work can be depressing and dangerous experiences. carried out in almost total dark possess, crossing treacherous icy streets. then it has to be repeated again eight hours later on the way home, again in total darkness. >> it really influences people. they can get depression. statistics say that 10% of people suffer from this disease during winter. almost every person has a lack of energy. about 10% h

their best hope lies with the powerful australian resupply shape "aurora australis" spected to arrive sunday. the ship has weeks of food and supplies, but is just frozen in place. >> moscow's streets have been lit up as part of an attempt by the kremlin to shine light into people's lives. after scrapping daylight saving hours many in russia complained they lived their lives in the total darkness. peter sharp investigates. >> waky, waky, it's nearly 10 o'clock in the morning, and it could well be midnight. since the kremlin scrapped daylight saving time the people here have to face 18 hours of darkness a day through the winter. sometimes going without seeing a trace of blue sky or sunlight more months. >> for the people of moscow the walk to work can be a depressing and dangerous experience. carried out in almost total darkness, crossing treacherous icy streets, and it has to be repeated again eight hours later on the way home. again in total darkness. >> it really influences people. they can get depression. statistics say 10% of people suffer from this disease. every person can feel l

. >> the aurora australis can't get through the ice conditions, then we would use the helicopter from the chinese vessel to evacuate the passengers. >> reporter: the expedition leader says there is hope that a u.s. coast guard ship can come to the rescue. >> there is also the possibility that the american icebreaker polar star, which is four times the size of the aurora, is going to be in the area in the near future. and if that were to come into play, that would almost certainly get us out, as well. >> reporter: tourney says all 74 people aboard the ship are in good spirits and for now, they have heat and plenty of food. adriana diaz, cbs news. >> the u.s. considering icebreaker is almost 400 feet long and recently underwent a $60 million renovation. >>> we're not dissuaded or discouraged. >> still to come, the first of its kind rose parade float that not everyone wants to see. >> and if you are planning to pop some champagne beside a roaring fire this new year's eve, you may have to make other plans. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,, but here in california, it wouldn't be new year s witht the rose par

their best hope lies in the powerful australian resupply ship "aurora australis."or now the passengers are in no immediate danger. stocked with weeks of food and supplies. it's frozen in place. >> two heavy-duty icebreakers will likely have to work in tandem for the science expedition to continue. how about that? >> good saturday morning to you. i'm tracking big changes, especially across the northern tier. we have an arctic blast moving through, dropping temperatures significantly, in addition to falling temperatures. we'll find winds picking up, and that will blow around any snow that falls. advicibility could be reduced significantly, travelling anywhere from parts of monty python into minnesota, where we have blizzard warning in place. we'll see winds gusting across monty python. winds are gusting upwards, and regina up to 40 miles. we have high wind warnings and winter weather advisories. we'll encounter roadways. we need to introduce the speed and give you time travelling there and into the upper mid west. this is the small area to the west of minneapolis whe

. >> two rescue vessels the aurora australis and the chinese snow crag dragon are nearby. reaking through the ice to free the ship. we reached the lead. >> we've got the aurora and the dragon support as well and if it's possible we'll evacuate the ship. >> the chinese ice breaker sent a helicopter to survey the area for a possible air evacuation. but turnny stresses abandoning ship is a last resort. >> we've got very specific scenarios at the moment we just never know with antarctica. if the wind changes direction, it could break up some of this ice. we're also in contact with the u.s. coast guard and there may be a possibility, that the polar star which is an american ice breaker might actually be heading our way as well. >> the coast guard tells cbs news that the polar star is in the antarctic but it's 12 days away from the "akademic shokalskiy." despite being frozen at a standstill the team's research on climate change and ant art tick wildlife is moving forward more than a month after the mission started and just five days from when it was originally scheduled to end. >

the powerful "aurora australis" had high hopes of tearing through miles of ice to get to the trappedhip. it was ten miles away when it had to turn around. no visibility. >> as soon as the weather clears, they'll probably have a another go. it's just we have no idea what the weather will do. >> reporter: expedition leader speaking to us just moments ago from that stranded ship. >> about ten days or so of fresh food. then we're on dehydrated rations. we have got the "aurora" within a helicopter ride. so, if it really got bad, they could drop us some supplies as well. >> reporter: even as a chinese ice breaker failed to tear through the ice and another couldn't get past the edge, the passengers are sending messages of hope home. >> just saying hi to let you know we're going to be a little bit late. >> reporter: while this ice breaker is stronger than the others, the ice could be as thick as 13 feet. the captain speaking to reporters. >> we're going to see if we can break them out. depends how much ice is pressured up and our ability to get through it. >> reporter: before the ship got st