Antarctic Rescue Mission Underway
source: http://news.discovery.com/earth/antarctic-rescue-underway-120808.html
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- circlesquared
- added this
http://news.discovery.com/earth/antarctic-rescue-underway-120808.html
Antarctic Rescue Mission UnderwayAn Australian medical team and government jet were sent to Antarctica Wednesday to assist in the rescue of an expeditioner from the United States' McMurdo Station base.
Wed Aug 8, 2012 04:19 AM ET
The Australian Antarctic program is providing its A319 Airbus and a specialist medical team to McMurdo.
Medical evacuations from Antarctica are relatively infrequent, with the last such rescue taking place in October 2011.
An Australian medical team and government jet were sent to Antarctica Wednesday to assist in the rescue of an expeditioner from the United States' McMurdo Station base.
The Australian Antarctic Division, a branch of the government's environment department, said the US National Science Foundation had requested assistance in an emergency mission, the details of which were not immediately clear.
"The Australian Antarctic program is providing its A319 Airbus and a specialist medical team to help," the AAD said in a brief statement about the operation.
"The Australian team will be positioned in Christchurch (New Zealand) later today and will fly to McMurdo Station when weather and light permit."
AAD director Tony Fleming said all nations with an interest on the icy continent "work together very cooperatively in these sorts of emergency situations in Antarctica to provide support when and as required."
Further details were expected to be released later by US authorities.
Medical evacuations from Antarctica are relatively infrequent, with the last such rescue taking place in October 2011, when a US scientist was airlifted from McMurdo after suffering a stroke at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station.
Approximately 30 nations operate permanent research stations in Antarctica including the US, China, Russia, Australia, Britain, France and Argentina.
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circlesquared
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this is a rather quiet operation with no details beyond this anywhere it seems. I believe there was a 5.1 earthquake not far from McMurdo within the last week. Will keep an eye out for any follow up info
http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/site/?pageid=event_desc&edis_id=UEV-20120808-36...
Event Description
Non-categorized event in Antarctica on Wednesday, 08 August, 2012 at 12:44 (12:44 PM) UTC.
Description
A medical emergency was under way Wednesday at the largest research station in Antarctica, which is the hub of the U.S. Antarctic Program. Australia said its Antarctic Division was asked to "assist in the repatriation of an expeditioner from the American Antarctic McMurdo station." The U.S. National Science Foundation is coordinating the operation, a statement from the Australian government said. The NSF did not immediately release any details. Nations "work together very cooperatively" in such situations, said Dr. Tony Fleming, director of the Australian Antarctic Division. An Australian team was headed to Christchurch, New Zealand, and will fly to McMurdo station "when weather and light permit," the statement from Australia said. The station, established in 1955, is built on bare volcanic rock on Ross Island, the solid ground farthest south that is accessible by ship, according to the NSF, an independent U.S. government agency. The station has landing strips on sea ice and shelf ice, as well as a helicopter pad. Temperatures Wednesday were 9 degrees below zero Fahrenheit (23 below zero Celsius), with the wind chill making it feel like 19 degrees below zero Fahrenheit (28 degrees below zero Celsius), according to the U.S. Antarctic Program. Researchers there conduct studies in astrophysics, biology, medicine, geology, glaciology and ocean and climate systems. - 9 months ago
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circlesquared
