Russian helicopter pilot rescued from Arctic ice floe

IQALUIT, Nunavut (AP) — A Russian helicopter pilot who spent more than 30 hours on an ice floe after ditching his small helicopter into frigid Arctic waters says he's not sure he would have survived much longer had searchers not seen his last warning flare.

Sergey Ananov, 49, was on a solo, around-the-world journey in his single-engine aircraft and was about halfway between Iqaluit and Greenland when his Robinson R22 helicopter went down in the Davis Strait on Saturday afternoon.

Speaking via satellite phone Monday from the Canadian coast guard vessel Pierre Radisson following his rescue, Ananov related a tale that involved quick thinking, a visit from three inquisitive polar bears and a fortunate break in the weather.