Trapped Antarctic researchers reporting death threats from colleague

7 hrs ago

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Craig Nigrelli Reporter

By Craig Nigrelli (Reporter), Jack Henry (Video Editor)

A research team studying the climate in the Antarctic region is reportedly feeling intimidated by a colleague, who is with them at the remote location. The South Africa Sunday Times obtained an email from the team leader of the group, which detailed some of those fears.
The South African environment minister confirms that there was a physical altercation and that the matter is being assessed.
Conditions at the remote location can average minus 10, with winds gusting up to 135 mph.

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A South African research crew, studying the climate in the Antarctic region, is dealing with more than just extreme weather and ice.

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An email, written by the team lead of the research group and obtained by the South Africa Sunday Times, detailed their conditions. It indicated that the team is living in fear of one of their colleagues, who recently became violent.

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Why are the researchers living in fear?

The email pleaded for the crew, stationed at what is called the Sanae IV base, to be rescued, saying the rogue researcher’s behavior has escalated to a point that is deeply disturbing. The email alleges he physically assaulted somebody, threatened to kill another and has created an environment of fear.

The person is also accused of having sexually assaulted another team member.

The writer said it is now “imperative that immediate action is taken to ensure my safety and the safety of all employees.”

What are conditions like where the team is located?

However, taking immediate action back in South Africa will be extremely difficult. It takes about two weeks, when the weather cooperates, to reach the base. The facility is roughly 2,500 miles from the southernmost tip of Africa, located on a freezing hilltop.

According to the publication, the team is entirely cut off and might be for another ten months. The average winter temperature is about minus 10 degrees Fahrenheit and winds can reach 135 mph.

What is the reaction of government officials in South Africa?

South African Minister of Environment Dion George said he will speak with members of the group and make an assessment. He confirms that there was a verbal altercation between the team leader and the person, with the team leader then being physically assaulted.

He noted that researchers undergo psychological testing before they go to Antarctica because of the remote, harsh conditions.

The team, numbering about thirty researchers, includes meteorologists, engineers and medical experts. They carry out climate monitoring, studies of the atmosphere and geological surveys.

Tags: Antarctica, Research, Sexual Assault, South Africa, Tech

[Craig Nigrelli]

A SOUTH AFRICAN RESEARCH CREW, STUDYING THE CLIMATE IN THE ANTARCTIC, IS DEALING WITH MORE THAN JUST EXTREME WEATHER AND ICE. ONE RESEARCHER, RECENTLY WROTE AN EMAIL, OBTAINED BY THE SOUTH AFRICA SUNDAY TIMES. IT INCIDATES THE TEAM OF RESEARCHERS IS LIVING IN FEAR OF ONE OF THEIR COLLEAGUES, WHO HAS BECOME VIOLENT.
THE EMAIL PLEADED FOR THE CREW, AT WHAT IS CALLED SANAE IV BASE, TO BE RESCUED, SAYING HIS BEHAVIOR HAS ESCALATED TO A POINT THAT IS DEEPLY DISTURBING. THE EMAIL ALLEGES HE PHYSICALLY ASSAULTED SOMEBODY, THREATENED TO KILL SOMEBODY AND HAS CREATED AN ENVIRONMENT OF FEAR AND INTIMIDATION.
THE WRITER ALSO SAID THE SAME PERSON SEXUALLY ASSAULTED ANOTHER RESEARCHER AND IT IS NOW QUOTE “IMPERATIVE THAT IMMEDIATE ACTION IS TAKEN TO ENSURE MY SAFETY AND THE SAFETY OF ALL EMPLOYEES. “
BUT TAKING IMMEDIATE ACTION BACK IN SOUTH AFRICA WILL BE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. IT TAKES ABOUT TWO WEEKS, WHEN THE WEATHER COOPERATES, TO REACH THE BASE , ROUGHLY 2500 MILES FROM THE SOUTHERNMOST TIP OF AFRICA, LOCATED ON A FREEZING HILLTOP.
ACCORDING TO THE TIMES, THE TEAM IS ENTIRELY CUT OFF AND MIGHT BE FOR ANOTHER TEN MONTHS WHERE THE AVERAGE WINTER TEMPERATURE IS ABOUT MINUS-10 DEGREES AND WINDS CAN REACH 135 MILES PER HOUR.
SOUTH AFRICA’S ENVIRONMENT MINISTER NOW SAYS HE WILL BE SPEAK TO MEMBERS OF THE GROUP TO MAKE AN ASSESSMENT. DION GEORGE SAID, “THERE WAS VERBAL ALTERCATION BETWEEN THE TEAM LEADER AND THIS PERSON. THEN IT ESCALATED AND THAT PERSON DID PHYSICALLY ASSAULT THE LEADER. YOU CAN IMAGINE WHAT IT IS LIKE, IT IS CLOSE QUARTERS AND PEOPLE DO GET CABIN FEVER. IT CAN BE VERY DISORIENTING. “
HE NOTED THAT RESEARCHERS UNDERGO PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING BEFORE THEY GO TO ANTARCTICA BECAUSE OF THE REMOTE, HARSH CONDITIONS. ONE PROFESSIONAL EXPLORER DESCRIBED IT AS A VERY LONELY PLACE THAT AFFECTS PEOPLE’S BEHAVIOR.
THE TEAM OF ABOUT THIRTY RESEARCHERS INCLUDES METEOROLOGISTS, ENGINEERS AND MEDICAL EXPERTS. THEY CARRY OUT CLIMATE MONITORING, STUDIES OF THE ATMOSPHERE AND GEOLOGICAL SURVEYS. FOR MORE UNBIASED UPDATES, DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP

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Bias Comparison

Media outlets on the left framed the Antarctic crisis with urgency, emphasizing the scientists’ vulnerability by using terms like “plead” and highlighting the “deeply disturbing” environment and “egregious” behavior of the accused, while also noting the scientists’ expertise in fields like oceanography.

Media outlets on the right amplified the drama, describing a “chilling drama straight out of the movies” and scientists who “fear for their lives” in the “frozen waste,” and drawing parallels to deep space isolation, while also mentioning a similar past incident, painting a broader picture of potential issues in isolated research environments.

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