Report on Rescue Mission to the Antarctic

By: Lt Col (Dr) R. Ismail
SO1 Force Preparation

A call for assistance was received at the casualty of 2 Military Hospital at 23H00 on Monday evening the 22nd of January. The casualty sister contacted Lt Col (Dr) Ismail who is the SO1 Force Preparation and thus in charge of medical call outs for rescue missions etc.

The details initially sketchy was filled in gradually. A German citizen manning the German research station in the South Pole, fell under a Snow Cat and was seriously injured. The medical team on the ground had stabilized the injured man and required immediate evacuation for further treatment. He was ventilated and this made the request even more urgent. The agents for the German contingent iniated the call for assistance to Metro, the local city emergency services. They then referred the request to the South African Military Health Services. A doctor and paramedics were requested.

Lt Col (Dr) Ismail required permission from Higher HQ to undertake the trip. With the seriousness of the injuries, urgency of the evacuation and the international implications, permission was granted within 10 minutes.

The eventual take-off from Cape Town International was at 11am on Tuesday the 23rd of January. The beauty of the Cape receeded in the background as the plane headed south. A 5 hour flight to the South Pole was underway.

Onboard was 2 Paramedics from ER24, Jeanine Davies and Quinton van den Berg, and Lt Col (Dr) Ismail. The pilots and the medical team were equipped with cold weather gear which included tight fitting sunglasses, beanies with ear protection and fur lined boots.

The mode of transport was a chartered jet which was capable of making the flight. The medical team with a large amount of equipment, which was required to transport the patient, was in high spirits.

The flight to the south pole was uneventful with the team getting in much needed sleep. The next big challenge was the landing on the icy runway at the Norwegian research base called Torr in the Antarctic. The pilots had no experience with an ice landing and the team were on the edge of the luxurious seats. The awe inspiring sight of the South Pole however provided a distraction. The touchdown was achieved and the long runway used to the full extent.

The ice and the white vista was a distraction for a few minutes before the attention of the medical team was directed to the patient. The German patient was flown to the Norwegian runway in a South African helicopter to be fetched by a South African medical team. This showed the full international co-operation when a person is injured.

The medical care for the patient was of the highest quality and the patient was transferred to a private hospital in Milnerton, Cape Town.