By Online Desk
Australia has successfully evacuated a sick Antarctic researcher from a remote outpost on the icy continent, the BBC reports.
An urgent rescue operation was launched last week to reach the man, who has an undisclosed “developing medical condition”.
The mission required a medical retrieval team, a massive icebreaker ship and two helicopters, the BBC said.
The researcher is now en route to Tasmania, where he will receive specialist assessment and care.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) said that the expeditioner requiring urgent medical care has been airlifted in a “complex operation” from the Casey research station in Antarctica to the icebreaker RSV Nuyina.
After breaking through sea ice, the Nuyina was able to reach a location near the Petersen Bank, about 144 kilometres from the research station, on Sunday.
Quoting Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) acting general manager of operations Robb Clifton, the ABC report said, “It’s the earliest we’ve ever gone to an Antarctic station — just a day or two after the official end of winter.”
“But it’s still very much winter in Antarctica.”
Clifton was also quoted as saying that a window in the weather allowed two helicopters and a medical retrieval team to then make the nearly hour-long flight to reach the station and collect the patient.
It is protocol for the AAD to send two helicopters on missions of this nature.
Clifton said three doctors, including a specialist from the Royal Hobart Hospital and a nurse, will look after the patient in the ship’s medical facilities, according to the ABC.
The Nuyina is expected to arrive back in Hobart next week, depending on Southern Ocean weather conditions.
The ship first embarked on the rescue mission last week, travelling nearly 3,500 kilometres from Hobart.
Casey research station is the closest permanent Antarctic station to Australia, with about 16 to 20 personnel on site over winter.
The half-billion-dollar icebreaker came into service in 2021 to conduct science missions and to ferry scientists and supplies to Antarctica, the ABC report said.
Australia has successfully evacuated a sick Antarctic researcher from a remote outpost on the icy continent, the BBC reports.
An urgent rescue operation was launched last week to reach the man, who has an undisclosed “developing medical condition”.
The mission required a medical retrieval team, a massive icebreaker ship and two helicopters, the BBC said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
The researcher is now en route to Tasmania, where he will receive specialist assessment and care.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) said that the expeditioner requiring urgent medical care has been airlifted in a “complex operation” from the Casey research station in Antarctica to the icebreaker RSV Nuyina.
After breaking through sea ice, the Nuyina was able to reach a location near the Petersen Bank, about 144 kilometres from the research station, on Sunday.
Quoting Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) acting general manager of operations Robb Clifton, the ABC report said, “It’s the earliest we’ve ever gone to an Antarctic station — just a day or two after the official end of winter.”
“But it’s still very much winter in Antarctica.”
Clifton was also quoted as saying that a window in the weather allowed two helicopters and a medical retrieval team to then make the nearly hour-long flight to reach the station and collect the patient.
It is protocol for the AAD to send two helicopters on missions of this nature.
Clifton said three doctors, including a specialist from the Royal Hobart Hospital and a nurse, will look after the patient in the ship’s medical facilities, according to the ABC.
The Nuyina is expected to arrive back in Hobart next week, depending on Southern Ocean weather conditions.
The ship first embarked on the rescue mission last week, travelling nearly 3,500 kilometres from Hobart.
Casey research station is the closest permanent Antarctic station to Australia, with about 16 to 20 personnel on site over winter.
The half-billion-dollar icebreaker came into service in 2021 to conduct science missions and to ferry scientists and supplies to Antarctica, the ABC report said.
