New Zealand Evacuates Three From US Antarctic Base in High Risk Winter Rescue

New Zealand's air force executed a nearly 20-hour mission this week to evacuate three U.S. researchers in Antarctica. (Royal New Zealand Air Force)
New Zealand's air force executed a nearly 20-hour mission this week to evacuate three U.S. researchers in Antarctica. (Royal New Zealand Air Force)
A New Zealand Defence Force aircraft
A New Zealand Defence Force aircraft flew to Antarctica with medical personnel on August 6, 2025. Al Denovan Antarctica New Zealand/NZDF

New Zealand’s air force said on Wednesday it had evacuated three people from a United States research base in Antarctica, in what it said was a high-risk operation in freezing temperatures and perpetual darkness.

One person requiring urgent medical care and two others needing medical attention were taken on the rescue flight from the McMurdo Station on Tuesday, the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) said in a statement.

The aircraft landed in the New Zealand city of Christchurch on Wednesday morning. The statement gave no details of the medical emergency or nationalities.

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