Ill worker begins two-week voyage from Antarctica to Australian hospital...WTF?

a reply to: StoutBroux

- 10 celsius ( australia has celsius ) is not freaking cold, when wind blows it feels colder than it is.

a reply to: Vasa Croe

Any medical people recognise that equipment the medical people are carrying?

It looks like a cardiac unit of some type, and has what looks like several tubes running something (meds i assume) to the patient...given the cardiac medical device, if that is what it actually is (it has a heart logo on it, so...) perhaps this is heart related, rather than some kind of disease?

originally posted by: MysterX
a reply to: Vasa Croe

Any medical people recognise that equipment the medical people are carrying?

It looks like a cardiac unit of some type, and has what looks like several tubes running something (meds i assume) to the patient...given the cardiac medical device, if that is what it actually is (it has a heart logo on it, so...) perhaps this is heart related, rather than some kind of disease?

Someone posted earlier that it is a cardiac unit but appears to not be hooked up. Though I think that is a common machine to have with anyone that has a medical issue being evac'd/

originally posted by: dollukka
a reply to: StoutBroux

- 10 celsius ( australia has celsius ) is not freaking cold, when wind blows it feels colder than it is.

yeah -10 is not that bad....I have been in worse many times and often with no face protection. It could not have been that windy or the helicopters would not have been able to do this transport I think. Looks like there is some snow fall, but otherwise, the weather conditions don't look horrible to me.

How about privacy issues..they do not announce peoples names and their illnesses here??..I do not get this?

Just spitballing but perhaps he is a driller skilled at taking core ice samples, perhaps he is a photographer working with the scientists, he could be an electrician, IT guy, a million other things. Tradesman is a very vague word, and trade skills are much more prone to physical injury than others, maybe he is a welder and burned himself or broke a limb, things they are not equipped for down there.

Also from what I gathered from the stories, this was the only ship anywhere remotely close, and his only option to be taken out (as someone else mentioned C-130s earlier, not sure why this was not an option, although it is also incredibly expensive to hire one of these, so if that happened wouldn't it have also raised eyebrows?). The way I see it is whatever company/expedition he works for took their only option to get him out of there. Refueling a ship, however stupidly expensive it is, is less expensive than a wrongful death lawsuit filed by a family if they did nothing.

I am not saying you are wrong, and that this story is not strange, but a good argument for something includes all counter-arguments as well, and am just throwing some in there for your consideration.

originally posted by: CalibratedZeus
Just spitballing but perhaps he is a driller skilled at taking core ice samples, perhaps he is a photographer working with the scientists, he could be an electrician, IT guy, a million other things. Tradesman is a very vague word, and trade skills are much more prone to physical injury than others, maybe he is a welder and burned himself or broke a limb, things they are not equipped for down there.

Also from what I gathered from the stories, this was the only ship anywhere remotely close, and his only option to be taken out (as someone else mentioned C-130s earlier, not sure why this was not an option, although it is also incredibly expensive to hire one of these, so if that happened wouldn't it have also raised eyebrows?). The way I see it is whatever company/expedition he works for took their only option to get him out of there. Refueling a ship, however stupidly expensive it is, is less expensive than a wrongful death lawsuit filed by a family if they did nothing.

I am not saying you are wrong, and that this story is not strange, but a good argument for something includes all counter-arguments as well, and am just throwing some in there for your consideration.

Yeah, I understand where you are coming from. Just the update with the video of the evac piqued my interests again since it seemed so professional with multiple angles and cuts. Odd that they would prepare such a "dramatic" video if this was truly an emergency, then release it like it was made for YouTube...

a reply to: Irishhaf LOL

Not everything is a conspiracy. If they really wanted it hush hush, they wouldn't have allowed photographs, press releases, etc.

If you look at the video you can see the lifepak is connected when the patient is taken out of the helicopter but is not connected when on the ship.

I don't know if this is a usual procedure but the patient must surely have a unique skill.

daily mail article:

The Australian Antarctic Division said the man's condition had stabilised and is not contagious, but that he needed to go to Hobart for further treatment.

The man arrived in Antarctica in November and had been due to spend the winter at the base. The patient and his family have asked for privacy, Division boss Tony Fleming said.

a reply to: Vasa Croe

I don't know about Australia but HIPA laws in the US would prevent naming someone. I'm not so sure I would want my name floating around either in association with some illness so I can at least understand that bit of secrecy. I wouldn't want people quibbling over the cost to come and get me and take me back either so that bit is out of my mind too...at least I wouldn't until I received the bill....then I might start yelling about why they didn't leave me behind.

I would imagine any illness at a research station takes on whole new realms of urgency since care and the tools available would be limited and travel is certainly limited so if the boat was the closest available then heck yes come get me. Strange it does mention how important he is to the cause so to speak, perhaps someone who contributes the financing of the expeditions so deep pockets gets you a whole lot.

I remember a couple years ago that a female became sick at one of the research stations and there was quite a deal about it. She had developed breast cancer and operated on herself to perform a biopsy and a plane was dispatched early in the spring in adverse conditions to bring her back so there is precedent, but all interesting the same.

en.wikipedia.org...

Perhaps they were looking for the southern polar opening and the guy got radiation sickness from something they didn't expect to find :O Lol. You never know its Antarctica for crying out loud. What are they doing there to begin with. And why did this become a news story in the first place. What are they researching, just geology and archaeology?

originally posted by: smarterthanyou
What are they doing there to begin with.

Well, if you really want to know....

www.antarctica.gov.au...

www.antarctica.gov.au...

The Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) is a division of the Department of the Environment. The AAD is responsible for delivering Outcome 3 of the Department's Strategic Plan 2013–2017, “Advancement of Australia’s strategic, scientific, environmental and economic interests in the Antarctic by protecting administering and researching the region”. Cover of Australia in Antarctica: the Australian Antarctic Program Information brochure about the Australian Antarctic Program [PDF] The Australian Antarctic Division is also responsible for delivering the Australian Antarctic program (AAp) in accordance with government priorities as articulated in the plan. These are to: Lead and collaborate internationally to further Australia’s research and policy interests. Enhance Australia’s capability to deliver on Antarctic priorities, and derive optimum benefit from our assets in the region. Gain recognition as an international leader in Antarctic science and environmental management. Maintain and reinforce Australian sovereignty in the Australian Antarctic Territory. What we do The AAD advances Australia’s strategic, scientific, environmental and economic interests in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. Pursuing these national interests requires us to maintain a strong presence in the Australian Antarctic Territory (AAT) and the Southern Ocean, and in the Southern Ocean subantarctic regions at the Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands (HIMI) and Macquarie Island and their adjacent waters. The AAD leads and delivers a world class science program under the Antarctic Science Strategic Plan. The Scientific program focuses on research relevant to the sound environmental stewardship of the AAT, the Southern Ocean and HIMI. It also undertakes work designed to inform policy development by Government and meet our international obligations by understanding the key role that Antarctica and the Southern Ocean plays in Australian and global climate systems. It also informs further understanding around the consequences of climate-driven changes. This work is underpinned by research that furthers understanding of the diversity, structure, function and vulnerability of terrestrial and marine Antarctic and Southern Ocean ecosystems. The AAD works to engage internationally in matters affecting Antarctic governance arrangements, including through the Antarctic Treaty, the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) and other international instruments. The AAD pursues relationships of mutual benefit with nations active in eastern Antarctica and with key bilateral partners in order to achieve environmental and scientific goals. In order to achieve all of the above the AAD operates three permanent research stations within the AAT, from support facilities in Hobart, where we manage and implement a combination of sea, air and continental transport capabilities to achieve our interests. We also administer and manage the AAT and HIMI in order to meet international obligations and domestic legislative requirements. In the subantarctic, the AAD maintains a research station on Macquarie Island that coordinates and, participates in research activities. At Macquarie Island, the Division services the needs of the Australian Government including, where relevant, supporting the Tasmanian Government’s activities.

www.antarctica.gov.au...

www.news.com.au...

Well, he has arrived safely in Hobart

ON board the Aurora Australis icebreaker, the man arrived in Hobart on Friday morning and was transferred to the Royal Hobart Hospital where he will continue to receive treatment for an acute condition.

originally posted by: hellobruce
www.news.com.au...

Well, he has arrived safely in Hobart

ON board the Aurora Australis icebreaker, the man arrived in Hobart on Friday morning and was transferred to the Royal Hobart Hospital where he will continue to receive treatment for an acute condition.

Appreciate the update...wonder what kind of acute condition it is/was. That would imply he may be over it by this point.