A unique operation to rescue a participant in a scientific expedition was carried out in Antarctica
Kyiv • UNN
An employee of the American McMurdo Station was evacuated by an Airbus A319 aircraft due to serious health problems. The rescue operation took place during the Antarctic winter, and the patient was transported to a hospital in New Zealand.
Serious health problems arose for an employee of the U.S. Antarctic Program at the American McMurdo research station. The local medical service’s capabilities proved insufficient. The U.S. National Science Foundation sounded the alarm and requested international assistance, reports UNN, citing Bild.
Details
The rescue operation had to take place in one of the harshest and most inhospitable places on the planet. The patient had to be evacuated during the Antarctic winter, which lasts from April to September and is accompanied by darkness, ice storms, and extremely low temperatures.
The request was sent to the specialized Australian company Skytraders. Even for experienced pilots who fly to Antarctica, this situation was exceptional. The first attempt had to be canceled because of a snowstorm. Finally, just a few hours later, on July 31, an Airbus A319 with the call sign Snowbird 1 took off toward the South Pole.
"We were flying in what are known as navigational twilight conditions. It is almost complete darkness. The conditions were at the limit of what was permissible for the aircraft. Minus 43 degrees was the lowest temperature I had ever encountered," co-pilot Louise Robertson later recounted.
The crew headed for Phoenix Airfield, located not far from McMurdo. There is a runway about three kilometers long, made of compacted snow. Before the Airbus could land, ground services had to spend several hours preparing the runway.
Everything went according to plan on the ground. The seriously ill American was brought aboard. Immediately after refueling, the Airbus took off and set course for Christchurch, New Zealand. There, the patient was taken to a hospital. Authorities are not disclosing details about the illness, age, or identity of the person. It is only known that the American is now recovering.