Australian icebreaker rescues sick researcher at Antarctica outpost

An Australian icebreaker has rescued a sick expeditioner, at the remote Casey research station in Antarctica, and is now travelling thousands of kilometres to Hobart on the Australian island of Tasmania, where medical help is waiting.

The RSV Nuyina is expected to dock in Hobart next week, the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) said on Monday.

On Sunday, the ship broke through the sea ice and reached a location 144 kilometres from the AAD-managed research station, the government agency said in a statement.

After that, two helicopters took off for a flight of nearly an hour. They arrived in Casey and picked up the expedition member.

It said the person was suffering from an undisclosed medical condition, and required specialist examination and care in Australia.

The icebreaker had previously been out of action for months due to repairs. It departed Hobart at the end of August and made its way to the Australian research station, some 3,500 kilometres away, to evacuate the person.

It was initially unclear whether the victim was a man or a woman, and further details on the person’s condition were not disclosed.

AAD spokesman Robb Clifton said the evacuation’s first phase was ‘performed safely and successfully.’ The person is now being looked after by the RSV Nuyina’s medical doctors and staff from the Royal Hobart Hospital, he said.

The Casey station is located about 3,380 kilometres south of the metropolis of Perth. It is the closest permanent Antarctic station to Australia.

Source: Ghana News Agency