Emergency efforts to evacuate a seriously ill man from Australia's
Antarctic Davis station are being hampered by sea ice.
The ice breaker vessel Aurora Australis, which left the base on
Tuesday, has turned back to collect the expeditioner who fell ill late on
Wednesday with a fast-deteriorating, but undisclosed, medical condition. However, the ship's progress is slow due to dense packs of ice on the Antarctic sea.
The Australian Antarctic Division said only that the man's
condition had been stabilised and is not contagious, but added that he needs to
be brought back to Hobart for ongoing treatment
The Aurora Australis is not expected to reach Davis station
until overnight Saturday at the earliest, when the patient will be taken on
board by helicopter
The
ship will then require refuelling and is not expected to leave Davis station
until late on Monday to embark on a voyage of some two weeks back to Hobart.
The man arrived in Antarctica in November and had been due to
spend the winter at the base.
By: Edwina Owusu-Adjapong.
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