Antarctic worker rescued

September 5, 2023 6:59 AM

Australia has rescued their sick team member from Antarctica.

For those of us in the Northern hemisphere, recall this is not the Nice Time in the Deep South. They happened to have an ice breaker that carries long-enough-ranged helicopters to make the trip, along with a rare balmy (relatively) day.

I didn’t know there were three Australian bases. Anyway, here’s hoping that the person makes a speedy and full recovery.

It’s possible this is a link to NYT coverage but I’ve had some trouble with archive.org recently and there is always the potential for user error…

posted by Gilgamesh's Chauffeur (19 comments total)

I mean, OK, they're not astronauts, so they get to have their privacy, but it's still frustrating not to be given any of the juicier details.
posted by tigrrrlily at 7:03 AM on September 5, 2023

Okay, so I guess the 27,000 hours until full global takeover began on Sunday? I, for one, hail…
posted by Mr. Excellent at 7:30 AM on September 5, 2023 [1 favorite]

Yeah, I'm super curious what happened!
posted by potrzebie at 7:51 AM on September 5, 2023

(Here's a gift link to the NYT article.)
posted by box at 8:22 AM on September 5, 2023

why was my first thought the opening of The Thing?
posted by lkc at 8:27 AM on September 5, 2023 [1 favorite]

Found some video of Antarctic operations immediately prior to the medical emergency
posted by tigrrrlily at 8:33 AM on September 5, 2023

If you haven't read it yet, I recommend checking out Dr. Jerri Nielsen's book, where she shares her remarkable journey of discovering her cancer diagnosis while stationed at the South Pole: Ice Bound: A Doctor's Incredible Battle For Survival at the South Pole.
posted by nanook at 8:40 AM on September 5, 2023 [2 favorites]

Probably cancer. There aren't that many other illnesses that are urgent enough for a very difficult evacuation, but also can wait for a slow boat.
posted by tavella at 8:41 AM on September 5, 2023 [2 favorites]

If this happens on some space mission any further out than the moon the patient dies. For example on Mars they have to wait for the launch window and then it’s 9 months travel. The window opens up every 18 months or so iirc.
posted by interogative mood at 9:56 AM on September 5, 2023

If this happens on some space mission any further out than the moon the patient dies.

That's why you can't save anything for the swim back.
posted by mochapickle at 10:51 AM on September 5, 2023 [5 favorites]

House, Season 4, Episode 11 (Feb. 3, 2008). Psychiatrist Cate Milton (Mira Sorvino) collapses in a research station in the middle of Antarctica... final diagnosis, after several missteps: broken toe.
posted by Iris Gambol at 11:20 AM on September 5, 2023 [2 favorites]

That episode of House took place during winter in the US, but it was also winter in the South Pole! That was also the season when Olivia Wilde joined, playing a doctor despite being 23. Good thing Hugh Laurie was such a delightful curmudgeon.

I also think Rick & Morty ripped off House and Wilson. But anyway…
posted by riruro at 11:55 AM on September 5, 2023

All just increasingly quirky renditions of Holmes & Watson.

Anyways, interesting news. Reminds me of the story of Henry Worsley (because antarctic medical emergency), hope it turns out better for the Australian person of course!
posted by Baethan at 12:19 PM on September 5, 2023 [1 favorite]

Reminds me of the story of Henry Worsley
Leonid Rogozov's (also peritonitis-related) Antarctic medical emergency came out rather better, though he had to remove his own appendix...
posted by rhamphorhynchus at 12:56 PM on September 5, 2023

I was on Washington Island, WI two weeks ago and had a terrible allergy response to the cottage we were staying in and all I could think is that there is no real medical care on the island and if I stopped breathing it would require an airlift. It was sobering/terrifying and that was just a few miles from the mainland.
posted by srboisvert at 4:19 PM on September 5, 2023

So, given how complicated research stations are, I can only imagine the production this evacuation was.
posted by GenjiandProust at 4:31 PM on September 5, 2023 [1 favorite]

The Nuniya has been in the news (SLGuardian) as (at least momentarily) being too big to fit under the Hobart Bridge, so she has to travel to the other side of the island to refuel.
posted by lhauser at 9:36 PM on September 5, 2023

> I also think Rick & Morty ripped off House and Wilson. But anyway…

rick and morty were a parody of doc and marty from back to the future. as in: the original cartoons were called "dok and mharti"

House and Wilson were Holmes and Watson, down to the address.
posted by lkc at 11:28 PM on September 5, 2023

I toured Nuyina's predecessor Aurora Australis, and it's the closest I will ever come to the helm of the USS Enterprise.
posted by rdc at 10:14 AM on September 6, 2023