Three evacuated after medical emergency at US Antarctic research base

The high-risk 20-hour operation took place in the complete darkness of the Antarctic winter

Royal New Zealand Air Force personnel during the medical evacuation in Antarctica (New Zealand Defence Force via Reuters)

Three people have been evacuated from a United States research base in Antarctica.

The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) carried out the high-risk operation in freezing temperatures and perpetual darkness on Tuesday.

One person requiring urgent medical care and two others needing medical attention were taken on the rescue flight from the McMurdo Station to the New Zealand city of Christchurch on Wednesday morning, the RNZAF said in a statement.

The statement gave no details of the medical emergency or nationalities.

Mid-winter flights to Antarctica are one of the most challenging air crews can perform (New Zealand Defence Force via Reuters)

Andy Scott, a New Zealand Air Commodore, said the extreme cold and landing on a runway of ice in the dark make mid-winter flights to Antarctica one of the most challenging air crews can perform.

"(It is) an extremely challenging environment to fly in on night vision goggles due to the extreme weather conditions, which are highly changeable at this time of year and make accurate forecasting a challenge," he said.

Temperatures at the McMurdo Station fell as low as -24 Celsius (-11 Fahrenheit) on Tuesday, hampering the 20-hour mission that took place in the complete darkness of the Antarctic winter.

The 20 hour mission took place in the complete darkness of the Antarctic winter (Three evacuated from US Antarctic research base in high-risk operation)

The U.S. Chargé d'Affaires for New Zealand, Melissa Sweeney, said the evacuation had been carried out "flawlessly".

"We are so very grateful. Our Kiwi partners didn’t hesitate to undertake this mission in one of the most unforgiving environments on Earth. Their skill and readiness are truly world-class," she said.

RNZAF carried out similar rescues in 2021 and 2024.