This New Zealand Air Force C-130 Hercules is on a mercy mission.<br/> It's taking pumping equipment and fuel to a Russian fishing vessel stranded in Antarctica with a hole in its hull after hitting ice.<br/> SOUNDBITE: New Zealand Air Force Captain James Anderson saying (English):<br/> "I'm going to drop two loads. One's going to be a load of diesel for their water pump, and then the second load is going to be a water pump to vacate water from their vessel."<br/> The Sparta sent out a distress call on Friday after tearing a 30 centimetre hole in its side.<br/> Most of the ship's 32 crew are sheltering in lifeboats beside it.<br/> New Zealand rescue co-ordinators say there's a skeleton crew still on board pumping out water and trying to patch up the damage.<br/> SOUNDBITE: Geoff Lunt, New Zealand Rescue Co-ordination Centre, saying (English):<br/> "They've stopped the water altogether. They're continuing to work on the hull, to patch it up, to make it more stable until further assistance can arrive."<br/> The Hercules' cargo is too heavy for flotation devices.<br/> It'll have to drop its load on the ice before heading to McMurdo Station to refuel for the seven hour journey back to New Zealand.<br/> Paul Chapman, Reuters
