Labrador crew maintain their smiles despite heavily damaged Arctic vessel

The crew of a fishing vessel that ran into trouble in the Davis Strait is being praised for its quick thinking.

"There was a few tense moments definitely on the ship," saidMaj.Rhonda Stephens of the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Halifax.

The F/V Saputi was fishing for turbot Sunday night when it ran into a piece of ice and began taking on water.

• Video released of Davis Strait fishing vessel rescue

Some of the 30 crew membersare from Labrador. A Danish Coast Guard ship was able to reach the Saputi and the crew are now safe in Nuuk, Greenland.

• Damaged Arctic fishing vessel F/V Saputi arrives in Greenland
• F/V Saputi en route to Greenland after taking on water

A C130 Hercules aircraft dropped off four additional pumps so crew could remove water from the vessel.

According toCapt. CameronHillier, who handles public affairs with the Halifax centre, the ship was taking water as fast as it was pumping it out.

"The problem with that is that as soon as the ship starting moving as you're going through the water, you're actually increasing the amount of water coming into the ship," Hillier said.

"The ship was literally sinking as it was proceeding to shore and safety."

Stephens agreed, saying that the "high sea state, snow and winds" were a definite challenge.

"So I'm certain that there was a few tense moments for the crew, but they did everything right in placing the call earlyasking for assistance," she said.

JFP Atlantic reported that the shipstruck ice, opening its hull.TheSaputiwas expected to arrive in Greenland lateMonday, but was delayed due to rough waters.

It arrivedsafely in Nuuk on Tuesday night, escorted by the Danish Navy patrol vessel the HDMS Knud Rasmussen.

"It was a pretty stressful situation for the folks on board," Hillier said.

"They didn't know that the ship was actually going to be able to make it to shore."

JonothonLarkhamof Port Hope Simpson was onboard andshared photos from the ordeal.

It's been an adventurous month for the crew who, just two weeks prior, sharedfootage of some playful polar bearsitcame across while aboard the factory freezer ship.

It's estimated that the vessel may have sustained about $1 million in damages and another $1 million in lost catch.