Antarctic expeditioner with medical condition evacuated from Australia's Casey station

By Liana Walker and Clancy Balen

Posted Mon 4 Sep 2023 at 8:23amMonday 4 Sep 2023 at 8:23am, updated Mon 4 Sep 2023 at 10:31amMonday 4 Sep 2023 at 10:31am

WATCH

Duration: 35 seconds35s

An expeditioner needing medical treatment has been evacuated from Casey research station.

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• In short: Australia's Antarctic resupply ship has picked up an expeditioner with an undisclosed medical issue from the Casey research station in Antarctica
• What's next? The Australian Antarctic Division says RSV Nuyina is due to reach Hobart next week 

An Australian expeditioner requiring urgent medical care has been airlifted in a "complex operation" from the Casey research station in Antarctica to the icebreaker RSV Nuyina.

After breaking through sea ice, the Nuyina was able to reach a location near the Petersen Bank, about 144 kilometres from the research station, on Sunday.

"It's the earliest we've ever gone to an Antarctic station — just a day or two after the official end of winter," Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) acting general manager of operations Robb Clifton said.

"But it's still very much winter in Antarctica."

Mr Clifton said a window in the weather allowed two helicopters and a medical retrieval team to then make the nearly hour-long flight to reach the station and collect the patient.

It is protocol for the AAD to send two helicopters on missions of this nature.

"We were really only able to attempt it because of the fantastic capabilities the Nuyina gives us in terms of icebreaking and aircraft capability," Mr Clifton said.

He said three doctors, including a specialist from the Royal Hobart Hospital and a nurse, will look after the patient in the ship's medical facilities.

The Nuyina is expected to arrive back in Hobart next week, depending on Southern Ocean weather conditions.

The ship first embarked on the rescue mission last week, travelling nearly 3,500 kilometres from Hobart.

International assistance considered

Helicopters had to complete the 144-kilometre last leg from the Nuyina to the station.(AAD: Tod Iolovski)

Mr Clifton said the division had spoken to "a number" of international partners to assist in the mission.

"We certainly did speak to programs like the American program about the location of their icebreaker, should we need it," he said.

"In the end we were able to do it solely with Australian resources."

In a statement, the AAD said the person's family was being kept fully informed of the situation and "all other personnel on stations are accounted for and safe".

No information has been provided by the AAD about the expeditioner's health condition.

Casey research station is the closest permanent Antarctic station to Australia, with about 16 to 20 personnel on site over winter.

The half-billion-dollar icebreaker came into service in 2021 to conduct science missions and to ferry scientists and supplies to Antarctica.