Three people requiring medical care were extracted from an American research base in Antarctica, the New Zealand Air Force says that during the cold temperature and a dangerous rescue operation carried out in a 24-hour darkness. US officials called the mission “nothing less than Veer”.
A person requires immediate medical care and two other people require medical help, a mission exiting the McMurdo station, which took about 20 hours, the Royal New Zealand Air Force said statement On Wednesday. The US National Science Foundation, which operates the station, sent a call for help as there were insufficient medical resources on the base.
Officials said a crew of the Royal New Zealand Air Force C-130J Hercules provoked the harsh conditions and successfully completed the medical clearance of the middle-winter. No information was given about patients or their conditions.
Officials said that an American team had to manually build a runway and ensure that the ice was designed to land into the dark and sub-zero temperature of Antarctica’s cold winter. After a detailed analysis of the airfield season and conditions, the New Zealand Air Force Crew – with a doctor on the board – used night vision goggles to complete the mission.
Officials said that once on ice, C -130 J Hercules engaged engines to keep the fuel warm, a procedure known as “hot fuel”, before the aircraft flew with three patients, officials said. The Air Force said that the aircraft returned to Christchurch, New Zealand on Wednesday.
Air Commodore Andy Scott stated that the cold cold, unexpected weather conditions and the difficulty of landing on ice in the total darkness makes the crew “one of the” most challenging “to demonstrate the” most challenging “.
He said, “(this) is an extremely challenging environment to fly into the eye -sight glasses due to the extreme weather conditions, which are highly variable in this time of the year and make accurate forecasts a challenge,” he said.
McMurdo Station -Which is located at a distance of about 25 miles from the world’s southern active volcano- Reported temperature -11 degree Fahrenheit on Tuesday.
American Embassy in New Zealand Praised Success of mission.
“Getting a large aircraft on ice, in darkness, using night vision, takes accurate and extraordinary skills,” Embassy Said on social media“We are deeply grateful to the commercialism, courage and partnership of the crew. This mission was no less than Veer.”
The New Zealand Air Force carried out a similar rescue in 2021 and 2024, the embassy said.
The US Charge D’Fyers Melissa Sweeni said the latest operation was “innocent” for New Zealand.
Sweeni said, “This required full accuracy. It was courageous, dangerous and deeply adventurous,” Sweeny said statement“This is a kind of mission that tests every ounce of skill and bravery. RNZAF distributed, as they always do.”
According to its website, the McMurdo station “is the Central Logistics Hub for the US Antarctic Program (USAP), which supports research on the continent and NSF Amundsen-Skot South Poll Station.”
