Australian Crew Rescues American from Antarctica in Rare Winter Flight
Skytraders air crew transported a critically ill American citizen from McMurdo Station in Antarctica to a New Zealand hospital during a rare midwinter rescue mission.
Skytraders, a Melbourne-based aviation company, executed a rare midwinter medical evacuation on July 31 to rescue an American citizen from Antarctica. Operating under contract for the Australian Antarctic Program, the crew used an Airbus A319 Long Range aircraft, known as Snowbird 1, to conduct the mission.
The aircraft departed from Hobart, Australia, and landed at the Phoenix Airfield near McMurdo Station in total darkness. The crew faced extreme conditions, with temperatures dropping as low as minus 43 degrees Celsius. Due to rapidly deteriorating weather at the Antarctic airstrip, the crew immediately transported the patient to Christchurch Hospital in New Zealand.
The U.S. National Science Foundation confirmed the patient was admitted in a serious condition. New Zealand's Health Ministry declined to provide further details regarding the individual's current status.
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