Russian troops have retrieved 10 tonnes of beer trapped under the Siberian ice after a week-long operation.
A lorry carrying the beer was lost while crossing the frozen River Irtysh, near the city of Omsk, about 2,200 kilometres (1400 miles) from Moscow.
The driver managed to jump out after the ice gave way, but the lorry and its cargo sank.
Six divers, 10 men with electric saws and a tank pulled the beer kegs — but not the truck — to safety.
With temperatures reaching -27C, the rescue mission was fraught with problems.
Russia’s Tass news agency reported that the recovery team eventually managed to pull the vehicle through a hole in the ice.
They retrieved the kegs of beer but the rope snapped and the truck slipped back under the water.
The Rosar brewery in Omsk said the freezing temperatures probably kept the quality of the beer from deteriorating and said it will still take the delivery.
It plans to sell the beer at a discount. [BBC News]
No fixed plans. Not intent upon arriving.