Fiennes pulls out of Antarctica trek
Explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes has to pull out of an expedition across Antarctica hailed as the last great polar challenge because of severe frostbite.-
Sir Ranulph Fiennes 'coldest journey' begins5 February 2013
Last updated at 13:59 GMT
Ranulph Fiennes pulls out of Antarctic challenge
Sir Ranulph's team mate Ian Prickett: "Fingers crossed it improves quickly - we could be in for a week, we could be in for another day"Sir Ranulph Fiennes has pulled out of an expedition across Antarctica in winter because of severe frostbite.The 68-year-old was injured after a fall while skiing during training at a base camp in Antarctica. He used his bare hands to fix a ski binding in temperatures around -30C.
His evacuation to South Africa is being hampered by blizzard conditions.
Sir Ranulph is said to be "gutted," but his five team-mates will still embark on the 2,000-mile (3,219km) trek.
Six months In a statement, the Seeing is Believing charity said: "The condition is such that he has very reluctantly decided with the support of the team doctor and in the interests of the success of the expedition and its associated aims, to withdraw from Antarctica while the possibility to do so still exists, before the onset of the Antarctic winter.
"This decision has not been taken lightly and it is, naturally, a bitter blow to Fiennes and his colleagues."
The team is attempting to evacuate Sir Ranulph by transporting him by skidoo to the Princess Elisabeth Station, about 70km away from his current position. From there he will be flown to Novo to get a connecting flight to Cape Town.
"This plan is currently being hampered due to a blizzard at their present location which is making the first stage of the evacuation impossible. Until there is a let up in the weather conditions, Fiennes will be unable to leave," the statement said.
The trek is known as The Coldest Journey on Earth. No human being has managed to walk across Antarctica in winter.
The team will face some of the toughest conditions on earth - near permanent darkness and temperatures dropping close to -90C.
Continue reading the main storyFrostbite
- Frostbite is damage to the skin and tissue due to exposure to freezing temperatures
- It can affect any part of the body, but extremities like fingers, ears, the nose and toes, are particularly vulnerable
- When it is cold the body diverts blood flow from the extremities to vital organs like the heart and lungs
- As the blood is redirected, the extremities get colder and fluid in these tissues begin to freeze
- Initially you may feel pins and needles and painful throbbing, but as the tissues freeze the area becomes numb
- Ice crystals form, damaging cells, and the low blood flow starves the tissue of oxygen
- If the blood flow is not restored soon enough the tissue will die and may need to be amputated
- Almost all cases of frostbite can be prevented by wearing appropriate clothing and avoiding unnecessary exposure to cold
The expedition - from the Russian base of Novolazareskaya to the Ross Sea - is due to begin on 21 March, the start of winter, and is expected to take six months.The team are raising money for Seeing is Believing, a charity which tackles avoidable blindness.
Sir Ranulph's past feats include becoming the first person to reach both poles by surface means and the oldest Briton to reach the summit of Mount Everest, aged 65.
Guinness World Records describes him as the world's greatest living explorer.
This is not the first time the explorer has experienced frostbite. In 2000, he lost the fingers on his left hand during an unaided attempt to reach the North Pole.
When he returned to the UK, he was told he would have to wait several months before they could be amputated to allow the partially damaged tissue to heal. But he decided to do the job himself and carried out the amputations using a fretsaw.
COPY http://www.bbc.co.uk
Nenhum comentário:
Postar um comentário