( CNN ) A U.S Coast Guard cutter has freed an Australian fishing boat trapped in ice 900 miles northeast of Antarctica . The heavy icebreaker Polar Star arrived Friday night to help the Antarctic Chieftain and its 27 crew members , according to the Coast Guard . The Chieftain , a 207-foot vessel , had lost the ability to maneuver following damage to three of its four propellers on Tuesday . `` The situation was dire , '' said Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer Allyson Conroy . `` Had the Polar Star not reached the Chieftain , it would have had to winter in the ice . '' After approaching the Chieftain , the Polar Star took it in tow . Both vessels were surrounded by 12 to 15 feet of ice that was covered with two feet of snow , the Coast Guard said in a news release . Towing in ice is much more hazardous than towing in open water and is a slow process , Conroy said . `` The seas of Antarctica are treacherous and unforgiving , '' Vice Adm. Charles Ray , commander of U.S. Coast Guard operations in the Pacific , said in a press release as the Polar Star was on its way to the trapped fishing vessel . `` This incident is a sobering reminder of the importance of the U.S. icebreaker fleet as we see increased human activity in the Polar Regions . '' According to the Coast Guard , the Polar Star was diverted to aid the Antarctic Chieftain following the completion of a mission at McMurdo Station in Antarctica , where the 150-member crew provided military logistical support to a program managed by the National Science Foundation . The 399-foot Polar Star is the only heavy icebreaker in the Coast Guard fleet capable of operating in the deep ice of Antarctica to free ice-bound ships like the Antarctic Chieftain or clear the route to resupply McMurdo Station . The Polar Star 's home port is Seattle . This is not the first time the Polar Star has helped a distressed vessel in the waters of Antarctica . In January 2014 , the cutter was deployed to help break through ice that had trapped the Russian ship Akademik Shokalskiy and China 's Xue Long and left them temporarily stranded .
The Polar Star is a 399-foot U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker . Hide Caption 2 of 10 Photos:Photos: Exploring the world's oceans from space