Icebreaker Krassin arrives back at King's Bay with the Italia survivors

The Italia survivors have struck up a considerable rapport with the crew of the Krassin, notwithstanding some formidable language barriers. All the Italia survivors have received medical treatment on board the ship. Just one, Adalberto Mariano, is in bad shape. He is badly frostbitten after having spent weeks wandering the Arctic ice.

On its slow journey through the icepack around the north coast of Spitsbergen over the past week, the Krassin has picked up other ground based search parties who were looking for the Italia crew. For all the jubilation at the success in locating and rescuing the Italia crew, there is much sadness at the human cost of the rescue mission. Amundsen and five colleagues are feared dead.

The Krassin edges its way into the quayside at King’s Bay. It was from this Spitsbergen mining community that the Italia set out for the North Pole on 23 May.