Among those trapped by Japan's tsunami were 48 elementary-school students on board a marine research vessel off Japan's northeast coast. The boat survived the quake safely, but lost its navigation equipment, and the children have to be rescued by helicopter.
The Chikyu, a drilling research ship owned by the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, was scheduled to drill just off the coast for several days. While the research agency reported the children and ship's passengers were safe Friday, rescuers were unable to begin an evacuation until Saturday, and even then only by helicopter due to the tsunami's damage along the coast.