Contact: Jennifer Park(205)934-3888e-mail [email protected]
Recent news of the second rescue of an ill medical doctor from the South Pole Station over the past several years brings home the dangers of working in this remote and unforgiving continent. James McClintock, Ph.D., dean of the University of Alabama at Birmingham School Natural Sciences and Mathematics, has worked in Antarctica over the past 15 years studying the chemical defenses of marine organisms as well as plants, and endeavoring to understand exactly how they use these chemicals to defend themselves . McClintock, who will return to Antarctica this summer, says rapidly changing weather conditions make all rescue operations in Antarctica dangerous, regardless of whether it's winter or summer. The weather conditions make it difficult to provide adequate medical attention plus there are always dangers of exposure to the elements. Flying is particularly dangerous. Because the weather can change in very short order, it can be sunny and calm, and 15 minutes later the wind can pick up and cause a "white out" (blowing snow is lifted off the surface of the ground).
But, McClintock, 46, says, illnesses requiring immediate rescue from the continent are rare because people who work in Antarctica must all go though rigorous medical exams before heading to the icy realm.
"These include family histories of serious diseases, EKG exams, chest X-rays, blood work, etc.," McClintock said. "Those who spend the winter must also pass psychiatric exams. Interestingly, workers in Antarctica must also have dental exams to ensure they do not have wisdom teeth that could become impacted and need removal while working there."
And while McClintock has not experienced a medical need to be rescued from his work sites in Antarctica, he has been rescued just in time before a white out trapped him for several days out in the elements. McClintock and his research team are were flown out to a remote field site near McMurdo Station where they were blasting holes in the sea ice or locate natural cracks in the ice to scuba dive in the freezing waters. A Navy helicopter deposited his team and their scuba gear near the sea ice edge on a clear, calm day, with plans for a return pick-up later than evening. About mid-day the sky towards the south pole turned pitch black, a sure sign of an approaching "Herbie" (a polar storm driven by severe katabatic winds and blowing snow). The team quickly erected an emergency shelter out of blocks of snow and prepared for the worst. At the last possible minute, McClintock heard the chopping sounds of a helicopter's rotor blades far in the distance. The team scrambled aboard the Navy helicopter and set down on the heliport at McMurdo Station literally as the blowing snows blocked out all remaining visibility. The storm raged for three days.
"There is nothing like the sense of elation that comes with rescue in the Antarctic," says McClintock.
McClintock's work in Antarctica in previous years earned him a distinction that few living people in the world have: a spot on the coast of Antarctica has been named McClintock Point in his honor by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names. McClintock Point is at the end of a three-mile stretch of land known as Explorers Cove, where he and has conducted much of his work. McClintock has been featured in numerous articles in publications, including American Scientist, Nature, and the Wall Street Journal.
Contact Jennifer Park, Media Relations, 205-934-3888 or [email protected].
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