Engine Failure Forced Ditching In North Atlantic

A ferry flight for a new owner ended prematurely with the forced landing of Cessna 337 Skymaster in icy arctic waters off the Canadian territory of Nunavut Sunday.

Miraculously, the two Swedish citizens onboard survived a night stranded on an ice floe, and were rescued Monday morning by the crew of the fishing vessel "Atlantic Enterprise."

Search and rescue spokesperson Jeri Grychowski told The Canadian Press it's not known what caused the engine failures, and adds the two were "very lucky." It's also worth noting they were well prepared, wearing life jackets and neoprene survival suits.

A Cormorant helicopter airlifted the men to Iqualuit, the territorial capital of Nunavut, on Monday morning.

Bo Mortensen, the captain of the Atlantic Enterprise, described what he saw as his vessel drew near the stranded fliers.

"They were crying and all that. They were happy to see the boat," Mortensen said, adding the two men spent 18 hours in temperatures as low as minus 20 Celsius, or about four below zero Fahrenheit.

Mortensen said the men were flying the plane back to Sweden for its new owner.

FMI: www.nunavut.com/