After 9 days on Antartic ice, trio rescued
Published: January 14, 2006
Stranded 740km south-west of Australia’s Davis Station since last week, they are in good spirits but looking forward to a shower and good meal, an Australian Antarctic Division (ADD) spokesman said today.
The two male pilots and one female air support worker were marooned when their aircraft failed to take off during a one-day expedition to retrieve gear from a US weather balloon which had fallen into Australian territory.
The well-equipped trio set up camp with tents and heaters and waited as poor weather kept help at bay.
Conditions improved late yesterday allowing Squirrel helicopters to fly in two engineers, repair equipment and additional supplies.
Latest reports indicate the aircraft’s damaged ski could be fixed and the engineers and aircrew flown back to Davis Station in 24 to 48 hours, ADD Air Transport Manager Charlton Clark said today.
“The novelty of playing paper rock scissors and eye spy has probably worn off by now and they’ll be keen to get back to the station for a shower and a good meal,” he said.
“For someone outside it may seem interesting and unusual (to have a work team stranded).
“But here, it’s fairly normal.
“Waiting around is not an unusual thing.”
The crew from New South Wales and South Australia, have stoves to keep warm and supplies to last another four weeks.
They have been surviving on dehydrated food, hot drinks and orange Tang and spend their days clearing snow from their makeshift camp, preparing a runway and melting ice for water, Mr Clark said.
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