We Salute You, Lieutenant Colonel.
(Correne Coetzer) “It is with great sadness that we can confirm that Henry Worsley died on January 24, 2016, in hospital in Punta Arenas, Chile,” reported his home team on his website today.
Henry (55) has been evacuated on January 22 after nearly 800 nautical miles, of his solo, unassisted unsupported traverse of Antarctica, was flown out to the hospital in Punta Arenas with peritonitis. His wife Joanna flew from the UK to join him.
In this Shackleton Centenary year, Henry, a retired Army Officer, attempted to cross Antarctica solo, unassisted and unsupported (no resupplies and no wind kites), commemorating Ernest Shackleton, a man who he had great respect for.
This was Henry’s third South Pole expedition, this time commemorating Shackleton’s Endurance expedition hundred years ago and his intended route, had he set off. Both Henry’s previous routes were full routes (coast to Pole), starting from the edge of the Ross Ice Shelf, following Scott/Shackleton and Amundsen’s routes, through the Beardmore Glacier (1,480 km) and Axel Heiberg Glacier (1,230 km), respectively.
Henry started his 1100nm / 2037km traverse Berkner Island, via the Geographic South Pole, to the Shackleton Glacier at the Ross Ice Shelf on November 13, 2015. His sled weight was 150 kg. He arrived at the South Pole on Day 51, January 2, 2016 (Day 51) carried on and aborted expedition on Day 69, January 20, 2016, at S86º 22.597 W177º 44.337. Altitude 9460 ft. His accumulated distance was 794 nautical miles.
Henry reported in a voice message, a gradual grinding down of his physical endurance finally took its toll, “and it is with sadness that I report it is journey’s end – so close to my goal.”
Henry leaves behind his wife Joanna and children, Alicia and Max.
We Salute You, Lieutenant Colonel.
Previous Exweb Interviews with Henry Worsley:
Antarctic solo traverse: Henry Worsley talks to Exweb/Pythom from Punta Arenas (2015)
Shackleton’s leadership skills, by Henry Worsley (2015)
Exclusive: South Pole anniversary final week interview with Henry Worsley (2012)
Previous updates:
Antarctica evacuations: Journeys end
Antarctica: So Near And Yet So far
Henry Worsley at the South Pole
#polar #southpole #antarctica #henryworsley
