we learned the aurora can t reach us. so we re preparing the helipad by getting the team to stomp down on the snow and ice so the chinese helicopter from snow dragon can reach us, when the weather improves. leland: a couple of days ago they said they were having fun. doesn t look like they re having much funny more. amy medical log joins us live from london. amy? reporter: fog, too, leland is keeping the helicopter from getting to the ship and rescuing the passengers still stuck in their icy trap about 1700 miles south of tazmania in the antarctic. as you alluded to, those passengers seem to be taking it all in stride. they appear to be in pretty good spirits aboard the academic schakowsky, ringing in the new year in more memorable way than most will ever do. they re not in in i danger now but their voyage on the russian vessel which started on
air lift passengers. problem is that may not happen anytime soon. now after spending christmas on board that ship, they will ring in the new year as well. matthew chance live in london with the latest. good morning, matthew. reporter: good morning, john. that s right. they ll be bringing in the new year. they ve posted video messages of themselves preparing for the new years celebrations. there is a new plan, you re absolutely right. it s the only plan that s going to work according to the rescue officials. they ve abandoned all the attempts to reach that stranded research vessel by sea with ice breakers. instead they ll stand back, send in a helicopter. they can only do that once weather conditions allow. this morning, new video, dozens of passengers walking arm in arm doing what they can to speed their rescue. we ve just learned the aurora can t reach us. we re preparing the helipad by getting the team to stomp down in the snow and ice so the
instead, they re going to air lift the passengers and some of the crew to safety once weather conditions permit. this morning, new video, dozens of passengers walking arm in arm, doing what they can to speed their rescue. we ve just landlord at aurora can t reach us. they are preparing the helipad by getting the team to stomp down the snow and ice so the snow dragon can reach us when the weather improves. reporter: it s not expected to get better until at least one more day. in the meantime, the crew has marked the spot in the ice where the chopper can land. once it does, it will transport 12 people at a time to a chinese ice breaker, then a barge will ferry them from the ice breaker to another strip, the 14ship se
the obama administration has just announced a milestone of sorts. a december surge has pushed obamacare enrollment past 2 million. at this hour, health secretary kathleen sebelius is providing more detail in a conference call with reporters. updates as we get them. strong wind is delaying the rescue of dozens of scientists and tourists who remain stranded by the arctic ice. we re hearing it ll be at least another 24 hours before a helicopter can try to reach them. this morning the passengers and crew aboard that stuck ship locked arms and walked across the frozen antarctic, preparing a spot for the chopper to land. it s the 31st of december at 3:00 p.m. we ve just heard the aurora can t reach us, so we re
impossible for the rescue helicopter to actually reach the ship. so the crew has marked the spot on the ice where it can land. now all they can do simply is wait. here s more from matthew chance. suzanne, it s the new plan, in fact, it s the only plan say rescue workers that is going to work right now. they ve abandoned all attempts at this stage to reach the stranded research vessel by sea. the pack ice is simply too thick around it for the ice breakers to break through. instead, they re going to be staging an airlift using a helicopter from the chinese ice breaker to fly over to the ship, land on the ice next door and airlift the passengers and some of the crew to safety. but they can only do that when weather conditions allow. this morning, new video, dozens of passengers it walking arm in arm doing what they can to speed their rescue. we ve just learned the aurora can t reach us. so we re preparing the helipad by getting the team to stomp