Antarctic South Pole Expedition Ends in Disaster

U.S Antarctic Program (USAP) - credit NSF

Two members of a five person private expedition to reach the geographic South Pole were transported to Christchurch, New Zealand onboard a C-17 transport of the U.S. Air Force. The fate of the remaining three members of the team is still unknown.

A search for the group, known as the Berserk expedition, started after a signal from their boat’s distress beacon was picked up on the 22^nd of February. Conditions in the Ross Sea, where the signal was located, were reported as severe with rough seas and extremely high winds. The team’s location was only about 18 miles north of the U.S. base at McMurdo Station. The beacon went silent two days later.

The two individuals flown out were the expedition’s shore party and were traveling to the South Pole in an ATV and later made their way to the New Zealand research base, Scott base. The U.S Antarctic Program (USAP), which manages the interests of U.S. researchers on the continent made the decision to get the two out on the C-17.

The search effort was conducted with assistance from the Royal New Zealand Navy vessel HMNZS Wellington; the M/V Steve Irwin, a rescue vessel deployed to assist in the search, and the Spirit of Enderby, a privately operated tour ship. With the end of the summer season at hand, and all research bases reducing to skeleton crews in preparation for the hash winter, rescue of the remaining three expedition members is doubtful.