Australia recovers ill expedition participant from remote Antarctic station during winter months

A person who was on a trip to Antarctica and got sick has been taken out of a faraway outpost during the winter. The rescue mission traveled thousands of kilometers. Australian officials announced this on Monday.

According to the Australian Antarctic Division, the RSV Nuyina ship traveled over 3,000 kilometers (1,800 miles) from Hobart in Tasmania to the Casey Research Station in the east Antarctic to help a patient.

The AAD said that the person on the expedition needs to see a specialist doctor in Australia for a health problem that is getting worse, but they didn’t say any more details.

“Our main focus is bringing the person on the expedition back to Tasmania so they can receive the necessary medical treatment,” said Robb Clifton, who is temporarily in charge of the Australian Antarctic Division’s operations and logistics department. He made this statement on Monday.

The Casey research station is situated on the edge of the Antarctic ice cap. It is found on the northern part of Bailey Peninsula on the Budd Coast. The station is about 3,880 kilometers (2,410 miles) south of Perth, Western Australia.

There are three permanent stations in Antarctica that Australia operates. One of them is called Casey. It is always occupied by about 150 expeditioners, who stay there all year. During the summer, more people come to visit Casey. During the cold winter months, there are only around 16 to 20 people at the base.

The Nuyina ship traveled for many days through rough seas in the Southern Ocean. It had to go through ice on the sea to get closer to a place where two helicopters could be used. The helicopters arrived at Casey on Sunday and took the patient back to the ship by air, according to the ADD.

Clifton said that the initial part of the evacuation went well and the ship is now on its way back to Hobart.

“The explorer will receive medical care in the Nuyina’s special medical facility, provided by our polar medicine doctors and staff from Royal Hobart Hospital. ”

The boat, which can go as fast as 16 knots, is estimated to reach Hobart again next week, but it depends on the weather, the AAD explained.

Casey has a small medical center, but in emergencies, other people may need to help the doctor at the station.

During the winter months, it is usually not possible to take flights to the Antarctic base. The weather is extremely cold, with temperatures dropping as low as minus 30 degrees Celsius (-22 Fahrenheit). There are also strong winds due to sudden blizzards and very little sunlight.

The closest runway to Casey is called Wilkins aerodrome. It is the main airport for the base and has a runway made of ice. However, it is only open and functioning during the summer, as stated on the APP’s website.

According to the AAP, the icebreaker Nuyina will travel about 7,000 kilometers to rescue people from Australia’s Antarctic and sub-Antarctic research stations.

The AAD said the family of the expeditioner is being updated about the situation and that all other people in the stations are safe.