Three killer whales rescued after being trapped in Russian ice

Footage shows rescue teams dive into sub-zero waters in an attempt to clear a path for the orcas.

Three killer whales and one calf have been rescued after becoming stuck in ice off the coast of Russia.

The incident took place in the Sakhalin region of eastern Russia.

The rescuers had to take a small boat to reach the whales which were 50-100m away from the coastline.

They dived into sub-zero waters to clear the ice and make a path for the orcas.

The process took several hours but the three killer whales were able to make their way to the sea. The calf was protected until higher waters allowed it to join the other whales.

Denis Ilyinov, Regional Head of the Russian Emergency Ministry said the whales had got stuck overnight because the “water is shallow and filled of stones.”