Tragedy in Antarctica: the dramatic death of two Argentinians in a deep crevasse and a promise kept

deep rescue operation refers to a drama mission that a group of knowledgeable professionals on the ice led to Antarctica, with a high risk of losing their lives in the attempt. This name can also be associated with an inexplicable chain of preventable deaths which happened in the dangerous terrain of the white continent and caused the death of two Argentinians and three Chileans. And it is also the title of the book, written by the journalist Gustav Murawhere for the first time what was a real tragedy that happened in Antarctica is told in detail.

In 2005, there were two fatal accidents involving an Argentinian and Chilean patrol. The two had a common denominator: the rescue team was the same: nine men of the Argentine army led by Colonel Víctor Figueroa, currently a general.

The author points out that the feat of this group of men has gone unnoticed in our country, and convinced that Argentina has living heroes whose actions deserve to be told, he proposes to do so in a book.

Compared to GlobeLiveMedia the author revealed that he intended recount two perfectly avoidable tragedies, which happened almost 18 years ago. Thus, he says that in September 2005 and without apparent cause, the frigate captain Jorge Pavon, head of the base in Jubany (which in 2012 changed its name to Carlini), decided to visit the Uruguayan base in Artigas. The project was simple. Leave on a Friday or Saturday and return the next day. However, persistent bad weather forced them to stay at the base in the neighboring country for about ten days. Desperate Pavon. He had left his base without an official mission and felt he had to return as soon as possible.

He was accompanied by the biologist Auguste Thibaudchief scientist of the base, and three members of the Navy, the first NCOs Alejandro Carbajo there Mario Leonhardt and the second electrician NCO Theophile GonzalezAll of the navy.

At some point, there was what is called “a window”, that is to say when the storm calms down or disappears and that’s when you can get out. Pavón then gave the order to leave..

In a first motorcycle they traveled Thibaud there Gonzalezin which he returned carbajo there Leonhardt and finally, alone, peacock bass.

Halfway up, at the height of the Collins Glacier, they were surprised by a storm. The rudimentary GPS they carried was of no help.. The real problem is that they couldn’t go back to where they had settled and they improvised.

They have entered uncharted territory. When the first motorcycle they were on Thibaud -who was the most baqueano of the group- and Gonzalez accelerated a mound, fell into a crackwhose depth has been calculated at about 400 meters.

The group became desperate. They threw ropes, they shouted, they fell silent to see if they heard anything, they shouted again. Nothing.

They issued an SOS. The Chileans sent a helicopter which, once landed, had to withdraw due to the terrible weather conditions. The men had to spend the night outside.

When the news broke in Buenos Aires, it was decided to launch the operation “Deep Rescue”. A team of nine men was summoned, all belonging to the SAR (Safe and Rescue, an international organization which is summoned in the event of disaster or natural disaster), all experienced on ice and in mountaineering, led by Colonel Victor Figueroa, which had a history of reaching both poles. The oldest member of the group Carlos Montenegrothe first masters Angel Bulacio there Luis Cataldoassistant sergeants Luis Gonzalez, Juan Brusasca there Joaquin Moya.

When they arrived at the scene, they descended 120 meters and found nothing. After 72 hours, hope was lost: no one could survive in these conditions. Either way, they will stay until the bodies are rescued, still in extremely adverse weather conditions. For Figueroa had engraved on the fire the promise he had made to Teresita, Thibaud’s wife: bring back her husband, dead or alive.

At the same time, a Chilean patrol was heading for a point on the Antarctic Peninsula when the sled towing a snocat, a tracked vehicle weighing around four tonnes, got stuck in a crack. Since they couldn’t get him out, they continued on their way.

The decision was to go back for him. A week later, seven men left in a vehicle. Many doubted going there, they were afraid and even considered taking money out of their pockets to replace the value of the sled and the load it was carrying, only to not return.

The worst happened: the snocat, with seven occupants, fell into a crack. The three men who were in front found their legs trapped by irons. The vehicle involuntarily sank further into the depth of the ice which had the shape of a short v.

The three who were not imprisoned were rescued. The others despaired. One of them begged to be shot in the forehead.

At that time, Colonel Figueroa and his team – which could not find the wanted bodies – was ordered to help the Chileans. They searched for them in a helicopter, then the soldier, along with Major Montenegro and NCOs Bulacio, Catalaldo and Aguilera Meneses were taken to the scene. There, after several hours of work, they were able to find the unfortunate people trapped, who they froze to death. The bodies were taken to the Abrazo de Maipú refuge.

Although he was ordered to return, Figueroa wanted to keep his promise to the wife of Thibaud. After consulting with the group, they decided to come back for the bodies of the Argentines.

“No one abandons anyone in Antarctica”they said.

During a complicated journey that included a boat trip provided by a Korean base, they reached the Collins Glacier and the fissure. The snow had covered him almost entirely..

They set up camp and faced hard work without rest. We had to discover the crack and start the descent again. They eventually found the bodies.

The end was predictable. Chile decorated the Argentinian group and showered them with honors. In addition, a court case was substantiated and the culprits were sentenced to five and a half years in prison.

In Argentina, the rescue group was honored with a Congressional Medal. At night, at the Aeroparque, they were received by Lieutenant General Roberto Bendini, Chief of the General Staff of the Army, as well as military officials and members of his family. Mura pointed out that no other authority, from the nation’s president until the end, approached them.

There was never an investigation into the event, but there was a civil lawsuit for which the relatives of the victims were compensated.

Mura has told this story in great detail and his book has the valuable input of information provided by the protagonists. He spoke with survivors, who described to him that they had endured a borderline situation, and told him how they overcame it; The families of the two dead have agreed that what happened was not an accident and that they want to claim the names of those who are no longer there. The author was impressed by the sense of duty and the commitment of the rescuers.

“In our country, there are living heroes, who risked their lives to save five dead. And even knowing they were dead, they still risked them. How come there is no claim for these people?said.

And he added that what happened was not simply the work of fate:From 2005, there was a defunding of the armed forces –he supported- and a government with particular animosity towards them”. The predominantly military Antarctic bases have felt the adjustment. “If we add these unfortunate events in Antarctica, to the fire of the icebreaker Almirante Irízar and the tragedy of the submarine San Juan, they are clear indicators of this.”

Mura pointed out that the motorcycles at the Jubany base date back to the 1970s, while the neighboring Chilean and Uruguayan bases had much more advanced equipment. “With a modern GPS, they wouldn’t have been trapped in a real minefield”.

The book “Operation Deep Rescue” is available on Amazon. Mura decided to launch it on the day of Antarctica, that white immensity where it is clear that, no matter what, no one abandons anyone.

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