Trapped Antarctic Scientists Plead for Rescue Amid Fear after Assault

[John Drake]

6 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

( I assume it's a him, though I count 8 females in the photo )

 

This photo is from 2014 according to the cut lines. I'd like to see a photo of the group in question. Wonder why it's not included?

[nglodnig]

8 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

There has been at least 3 movies. Which do you think was best? I only saw the first 2 and liked Kurt Russel version better.

no rainer John Carpenter. Yeah Kurt;s there as well (no spoilers)

[kiwikeith]

11 hours ago, WDSmart said:

Just capture him, tie him up, and put him outside for the night. Job done! 

Maybe he has the secret gun used for these situations 

[Social Media]

UPDATE:

 

Scientist who just returned from Antarctic SANAE IV base where assault occurred reveals harrowing details of living in extreme isolation: ‘Lot of unknowns’

 

 

Dr Herman Van Niekerk, a geologist at the University of Johannesburg, has just come back from a two-month expedition to SANAE IV, the Antarctic base where a South African team of scientists have pleaded for help following the “deeply disturbing” behavior of a crew member.

 

“The Antarctic is often romanticized, but when people realize what’s waiting for them, well, there’s not a lot of people who feel they’re up to it,” Van Niekerk told The Telegraph.

 

In a situation described as a “real-life horror movie,” one of the nine trapped crew members sent a desperate email about a coworker they said violently beat, threatened and sexually harassed at least two others on the base, as first reported by South Africa’s Sunday Times newspaper.

 

They described their colleague’s descent into “deeply disturbing” behavior, saying it had created “an environment of fear and intimidation. I remain deeply concerned about my own safety, constantly wondering if I might become the next victim.”

 

All crew members undergo “psychometric tests” before heading to the base, Van Niekerk explained, “but you just can’t predict how that will affect people in reality when there’s no life for miles.”

 

Despite close vetting, Van Niekerk described the moment when one student freaked out.

 

“People only reveal who they are when they’re exposed to the extreme conditions,” he said, describing how the student refused to leave their tent on the expedition while they were stranded some 124 miles from SANAE IV.

 

The crew — stranded until at least December on the 1997-built base 2,500 miles from South Africa — includes engineers, scientists, and a doctor, but no one to manage security, Van Niekerk explained.

 

“There’s a doctor, mechanics and members of the South African National Space Agency. But there is nobody in charge of security, no firearms or anything like that,” Van Niekerk said.

 

On top of the deathly cold, with temperatures plummeting to lows of -9F, and winds reaching up to 135 mph, the upcoming Antarctic winter presents a fresh disorientating challenge.

 

From March, the base will be in almost complete darkness for the next 10 months.

 

As report by NYP 2025-03-21

 

 

[hotchilli]

14 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

There has been at least 3 movies. Which do you think was best? I only saw the first 2 and liked Kurt Russel version better.

Same.. Kurt Russell version

[Aussie999]

15 hours ago, BangkokReady said:

 

What's racist about what I wrote?

Re-read your own comment.... you raised the colour flag, for no other reason except to make it about race.
"Maybe the guy is Black and the team is full of left-wing idiots so they don't want to do anything about it?"

[Aussie999]

12 hours ago, Kinok Farang said:

And someone had to get their virtue signalling in too.

Congratulations.

what's you problem.. what are you "signaling." Congratulations on being a no hoper.

[Ralf001]

17 hours ago, WDSmart said:

Just capture him, tie him up, and put him outside for the night. Job done! 

 

and put a car tire around his neck, set it on fire so he don't freeze during the sub zero weather.

[BangkokReady]

54 minutes ago, Aussie999 said:

Re-read your own comment.... you raised the colour flag, for no other reason except to make it about race.
"Maybe the guy is Black and the team is full of left-wing idiots so they don't want to do anything about it?"

 

How about you simply justify your claim?  If you're correct, it shouldn't be a problem for you.

 

How is what I said racist?

[OJAS]

7 hours ago, Social Media said:

From March, the base will be in almost complete darkness for the next 10 months.

 

Only until September, I think.

 

[thaibeachlovers]

20 hours ago, Harrisfan said:

They should have 2 bodyguards.

??????????????

You mean have security guards down there? That'll fly like a lead balloon.

Still doesn't deal with what they do with him- do they have to build a jail too?

Whom is going to do his job- the security guard?

[pacovl46]

Sounds like it’s time for a pre-emptive strike on your part….

[fondue zoo]

On 3/20/2025 at 4:04 PM, nglodnig said:

Worse thing is the reseacher is continually changing shape so they don't know what he looks anymore 🙂 ("John Carpenter "The Thing" anyone?)

 

 

test the blood!

 

 

[thaibeachlovers]

1 hour ago, OJAS said:

 

Only until September, I think.

 

No way it's 10 months. Someone didn't do their research properly. Scott Base is waaaaaay further south and we only had 2 months of total darkness. The sunrises were spectacular.

[thaibeachlovers]

9 hours ago, Social Media said:

 

That's way less than the first group photo.

3 women and 6 guys I can't think of a better way to cause ructions in an isolated base with no way out. It's not like the space station where everyone is in each others face all the time. Plenty of space on that huge base for a spot of naughtiness, which leads to jealously, which leads to ..... I don't have to spell it out.

There have been previous expeditions which suffered from that scenario. The Ice Bird expedition was a classic case of why it's not a good idea for one or two guys to be having happy endings and the rest get to look on bereft of such. Seems they haven't learned much since.

[thaibeachlovers]

9 hours ago, Social Media said:

“The Antarctic is often romanticized, but when people realize what’s waiting for them, well, there’s not a lot of people who feel they’re up to it,” Van Niekerk told The Telegraph.

I loved the Antarctic more than any other place I've ever lived in, but some people should never, never, never be allowed to go there.

The problem is that the people that they need have to be experts at whatever they do and everyone is highly skilled. Such people are not necessarily wanting to spend a year there, so if push comes to shove, they'll take a less than optimal character. Our leader was one such- a complete Richard Cranium.

[thaibeachlovers]

24 minutes ago, fondue zoo said:

 

 

test the blood!

 

 

That movie had the base armed to the teeth with weapons, which is not reality. Weapons are banned, given the complete absence of threatening species. Even the US icebreakers had to remove their deck guns.

[thaibeachlovers]

9 hours ago, Social Media said:

On top of the deathly cold, with temperatures plummeting to lows of -9F, and winds reaching up to 135 mph, the upcoming Antarctic winter presents a fresh disorientating challenge.

??????? Apart from a spot of insomnia, no one got disoriented while I was there. I enjoyed everything about being there, and I spent most of my time outside. It wasn't till it got below - 30 celcius that it got really cold. Once I acclimatized, I was able to go outside in a track suit, as long as it wasn't windy. Wind is the killer, not the temperature.

[Nick Carter icp]

On 3/20/2025 at 1:26 PM, spidermike007 said:

Which is a rather bizarre thing when you're talking about 60 against 1.

 

 

 

   Mike , the photo is an old photo from 2014 and its just for a reference .

Its just 9 of them there this time and all the men seem to be Black and 1 blond woman .

   I wonder which one of them sent the distressed message asking to be rescued ?

[thaibeachlovers]

5 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   Mike , the photo is an old photo from 2014 and its just for a reference .

Its just 9 of them there this time and all the men seem to be Black and 1 blond woman .

   I wonder which one of them sent the distressed message asking to be rescued ?

LOL. Look again. It's clearly 3 women.

[Harrisfan]

51 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

??????????????

You mean have security guards down there? That'll fly like a lead balloon.

Still doesn't deal with what they do with him- do they have to build a jail too?

Whom is going to do his job- the security guard?

What if he kills someone?

[Nick Carter icp]

2 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

LOL. Look again. It's clearly 3 women.

 

   Yes, I know , I was just pointing out that there was 1 blond woman , I didn't mean that there was just 1 woman there , just 1 blond woman 

[thaibeachlovers]

1 minute ago, Harrisfan said:

What if he kills someone?

Then the other people blockade themselves into the module with all the food, and wait for him to get weak from hunger. There is no food in winter, except what is sent down. It's not that cold where they are, so if they take sleeping bags it doesn't matter if he cuts the power. Scientists live outside for months.

[BritManToo]

17 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   Mike , the photo is an old photo from 2014 and its just for a reference .

Its just 9 of them there this time and all the men seem to be Black and 1 blond woman .

   I wonder which one of them sent the distressed message asking to be rescued ?

Probably the blond woman is, in fact, a guy dressing as a woman and the one they're all scared of.

(A bit like being in Pattaya)