Plane Arrives at South Pole to Rescue Ailing American Doctor

A small propeller plane fitted with skis for an icy landing arrived at the bottom of the world Tuesday to rescue an ailing American doctor at the South Pole.

Flying into the pitch black of the polar winter, the eight-seat Twin Otter arrived at Amundsen-Scott South Pole station after a 10-hour flight from Rothera base on the Antarctic Peninsula, across from Chile.

Even though the howling winds and blinding snow had eased, temperatures at the South Pole had dipped to minus 76 degrees, or 119 degrees below zero with windchill.

“They landed safely and without any problems,” said Valerie Carroll, a spokeswoman for U.S.-based Raytheon Polar Services.

Carroll said that the plane’s crew would remain at the pole for 10 hours to rest, refuel and assess Dr. Ronald S. Shemenski’s condition. They’re expected to fly out early this morning.

It was the second dramatic rescue attempt in 24 hours: Earlier Tuesday, a New Zealand air force plane successfully evacuated 11 American staffers from a research station at McMurdo Sound on the coast of the frozen continent.

Flights to Antarctica are rare from late February until November because of the extreme cold and darkness. But health emergencies at the isolated outposts forced rescuers in both operations to make the dangerous trips.

Shemenski, 59, one of 50 researchers at the station, recently suffered a gallbladder attack and has been found to have pancreatitis, a potentially life-threatening condition.

The rescue team included two pilots, an engineer, a nurse and a replacement physician for the polar station.

A similar rescue was made in 1999, when Dr. Jerri Nielsen was evacuated from the pole after she discovered a lump in her breast.