The drama that began on Thursday of last week and played out over the weekend and New Years Eve has ended, with the drill rig Kulluk going aground on the seaward side of Sitkilidak Island. The drill rig grounded at the rocky entrance of Ocean Bay along the northeast edge.
The Alaska State Troopers stationed in Nome received a report of a man stranded on the ice off shore from Nome on Sunday at approximately 2:30 pm.
The drilling rig Kulluk and its support vessels, the Aiviq, Alert, Guardsman, and Nanuq in the Gulf of Alaska continue to work towards shelter on Monday night.
The battle to save Shell's drill ship continued into Monday in the Fierce weather of the Gulf of Alaska. Shell reports that the drill rig had broke free of its towlines again yesterday. But, Monday morning, the situation has once again stabilized.