Australia Launches Mission to Rescue Researcher in Antarctica

Australia is urgently working to rescue a researcher suffering from a medical condition in Antarctica. 

The researcher, who wasn’t named, is at Australia's Casey research station, located on an ice cap.

The icebreaker RSV Nuyina left last week to travel to the research facility for the rescue mission, the Associated Press reported. Evacuation helicopters are aboard the ship. 

Details about the researcher's medical condition weren't shared by officials.

“The expeditioner requires specialist medical assessment and care in Australia for a developing medical condition,” officials told the AP.

The rescue comes at the start of the Southern Hemisphere spring season, AP noted. More than 150 researchers visit the Casey station over the summer, but fewer than 20 stay over winter. 

Australia needed help from the United States and China in 2020 to evacuate another expeditioner, the Guardian reported. Australia helped evacuate an American that same year.