Human
South Pole Rescue Flies 2 Sick Workers Out Of Antarctica
Brooke James
First Posted: Jun 23, 2016 08:45 AM EDT
In a daring rescue on Wednesday, a small plane with two sick US workers found their way to Antarctica from a remote South Pole research station. The two workers were then flown to Chile, where they will be getting their medical care.
The rescue team that managed to save the pair flew in 3,000 miles round trip from the British Station Rothera to pick up workers at the US-Amundsen-Scott station. The flight was perilous, but necessary as the scientists were in desperate need of medical attention.
The evacuation flight made headlines due to the danger that they have to face as it is extremely cold in the South Pole at this time of year. According to CTV News, scientists pointed out that they've just gone in the coldest days at it was mid-winter.
Flying to the South Pole in the middle of winter is extremely rare as there is a lack of light, not to mention the extreme weather conditions that make flying risky. Peter West of the National Science Foundation shared, "This has never been attempted before at this time of year, this time of winter in Antarctica. It's been done slightly earlier in the winter, but not at this time of year."
The Washington Post noted that the National Science Foundation still hasn't identified the sick workers or their conditions, saying that it is a matter of medical privacy. However, they were both said to be working for Lockheed Martin.
There have only been three emergency evacuations from the Amundsen-Scott Station since 1999, two of which had airplanes provided for by Kenn Boreck air - and supplied two of the planes for the mission this time around. Despite the treacherous journeys, researchers have been working at the station since the 1950s, and it is only one of three year-round NSF-led operations in Antarctica.
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First Posted: Jun 23, 2016 08:45 AM EDT
In a daring rescue on Wednesday, a small plane with two sick US workers found their way to Antarctica from a remote South Pole research station. The two workers were then flown to Chile, where they will be getting their medical care.
The rescue team that managed to save the pair flew in 3,000 miles round trip from the British Station Rothera to pick up workers at the US-Amundsen-Scott station. The flight was perilous, but necessary as the scientists were in desperate need of medical attention.
The evacuation flight made headlines due to the danger that they have to face as it is extremely cold in the South Pole at this time of year. According to CTV News, scientists pointed out that they've just gone in the coldest days at it was mid-winter.
Flying to the South Pole in the middle of winter is extremely rare as there is a lack of light, not to mention the extreme weather conditions that make flying risky. Peter West of the National Science Foundation shared, "This has never been attempted before at this time of year, this time of winter in Antarctica. It's been done slightly earlier in the winter, but not at this time of year."
The Washington Post noted that the National Science Foundation still hasn't identified the sick workers or their conditions, saying that it is a matter of medical privacy. However, they were both said to be working for Lockheed Martin.
There have only been three emergency evacuations from the Amundsen-Scott Station since 1999, two of which had airplanes provided for by Kenn Boreck air - and supplied two of the planes for the mission this time around. Despite the treacherous journeys, researchers have been working at the station since the 1950s, and it is only one of three year-round NSF-led operations in Antarctica.
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone