Sydney
Reuters
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The New Zealand Air Force said Wednesday it had evacuated three people from a US research base in Antarctica.
One person in need of emergency medical care and two people in need of medical care during their rescue air flight from McMurdo Station on Tuesday, the New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) said in a statement.
The aircraft landed in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand on Wednesday morning. The statement gave no details about the medical emergency or nationality.
Air New Zealand’s Commodore Andy Scott said that a midwinter flight to Antarctica can be played by one of the most challenging air squadrons when landing extremely cold on an ice runway in the dark.
“(It’s) a very challenging environment for diving into night vision goggles due to extreme weather conditions that change very much during this time and make accurate prediction a challenge,” he said.
Temperatures at McMuldo Station fell low at -24 Celsius (-11 Fahrenheit) on Tuesday, hampering a 20-hour mission that took place in the complete darkness of Antarctica winter.
New Zealand’s US chargéd’Affaires, Melissa Sweeney, said the evacuation was “perfect.”
“We are very grateful. Our Kiwi partners didn’t hesitate to take on this mission in one of the most relentless environments on the planet. Their skills and preparation are truly world-class,” she said.
RNZAF provided similar rescues in 2021 and 2024.
