Expedition cancelled - rescue operation in act
The last two days the events precipitated: At around 8 PM of Thursday, March 9, we decided together with Thomas that his expedition had to be called off and that he had to be evacuated. The reasons: His position on a fast drifting ice floe was very dangerous (much open water around); we could not seen any possible improvement ahead, and furthermore an old inguinal hernia caused him problems after the efforts of March 8. After 22.30 in the night of March 9 to March 10 the situation became dramatic: Winds with extreme strong peaks caused high waves and began to move the ice; the floe on which Thomas was isolated, broke in pieces and he lost the most of his material. After this event, Thomas activated his emergency transmitter. An evacuation, starting from Norilsk about 1400 km South, was organized immediately. Then followed the day of yesterday: Because of the bad conditions, the helicopters couldn't take off. They have finally taken off this morning and we are still are hoping in an evacuation within today.
The two rescue helicopters have taken off this morning at 7 AM Swiss time (local time in Siberia 1 PM) from Norilsk and are heading towards Sredny. They have to cover a distance of about 1400 km to reach Thomas Ulrich. The time schedule for the rescue of Thomas looks, at the moment, as follows: Stop-over for refueling in Dikson 11 AM Swiss time, arrival on the island of Sredny west of Severnaja Semlja around 3 PM (local time in Siberia 9 PM). Whether a rescue is possible tonight is being decided there right now. There is no doubt though, that the Russian rescue crew does all what is possible to evacuate Thomas as fast as possible. The weather forecast for today is good, there is almost no wind at all and the temperatures are slightly colder (-23 C where Thomas is). Thomas is, considering the circumstances, quite fine, the ice beneath him is stable as is his morale. We are in contact with him. But it is also clear that a rescue operation is urgently needed for medical reasons (problems with an old inguinal hernia, cold and danger of frostbites and of dehydration because of a lack of drinking water).
We will inform you, as soon as we have news.
Christine Kopp and Hans Ambühl, Interlaken