Corbis
View Caption + #1: June 26, 2012
-- A team of explorers are hoping drill 100 feet beneath the Antarctic ice to bring back the bodies of three American fliers who died on a remote island off Antarctica 65 years ago.
Antarctica Mission: Lost in the Ice: Photos
-- A team of explorers are hoping drill 100 feet beneath the Antarctic ice to bring back the bodies of three American fliers who died on a remote island off Antarctica 65 years ago. The lost men are shown here, from left: Ensign Max Lopez - NA, "Bud" Hendersin, ARM1C and Fred Williams, AMM1C. The explorers want logistical help from U.S. military officials, who say the project is too dangerous. Read the full story here.
courtesy family members
View Caption +
The George One is seen being prepped for its final flight. The plane was on a mapping mission on Dec. 30, 1946 when it became lost in a blizzard, struck a ridge line on remote Thurston Island in West Antarctica and exploded.
US Navy
View Caption +
The rescue aircraft "George 3" searches the ice for the crash site of the "George One" in January 1947.
US Navy
View Caption +
The site of the crash of the George One is seen from above with names of dead crewmen written on the wing. Survivors (center top) wave to their crew mates in the George 2 flying overhead. The search plane discovered them 12 days after the crash. The life raft (upper left) had been set ablaze with octane fuel salvaged from the wreck by crewman Robbie Robbins. The crew survived in the tail section (top right). The men are buried under the wing just to the left of the line Robbins painted on the wing to notify the search plane of the fatalities.
U.S. Navy
View Caption +
The rescue aircraft, "George 2" is seen after hunting for the George One over Antarctica.
US Navy
View Caption +
Two members of a rescue party paddle back to the amphibious craft George 2 after reaching the crash site.
US Navy
View Caption +
Ensign Max Lopez was one of the men who died in the crash of George One.
courtesy of family members
View Caption + #8: Fred Williams -- another of the lost men.
courtesy of family members
View Caption +
"Bud" Hendersin -- the third man who perished in the 1946 crash. Family members of the three lost men say that over the years they have been promised by Navy officials that the bodies would be recovered if certain safety and logistical problems could be met. For their part, Navy officials say they recognize the families' concerns recovering the MIAs from Antarctica, but the operation is still too dangerous. PHOTOS: Forgotten Discoveries of Scott's Antarctica
courtesy of family members
Related Links
Sydney — Most passengers and some crew from a scientific expedition ship stranded off Antarctica will be evacuated by helicopter to a Chinese icebreaker if weather conditions improve, Russia said Monday.
Quadrotors are revolutionizing everything from package delivery to search and rescue.
DCI
Authorities decided to resort to the helicopter evacuation after the Aurora Australis rescue icebreaker was forced to retreat in the face of freezing winds and snow showers 10 nautical miles from the Russian-flagged MV Akademik Shokalskiy, which is stuck in an ice field.
Thick ice had earlier prevented both the Chinese icebreaker Xue Long and a French icebreaker from reaching the stranded crew.
"A decision has been reached to evacuate 52 passengers and four crew members by helicopter from China's Xue Long ship, should the weather allow," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.
The MV Akademik Shokalskiy has been stuck on an ice field since last week with 74 people on board. The multinational passenger list includes scientists as well as tourists and crew.
Earlier Monday, the Australian Maritime Authority said the area where the ship was trapped was experiencing winds of up to 30 knots and snow showers.
"These weather conditions have resulted in poor visibility and made it difficult and unsafe for the Aurora Australis to continue today's attempt to assist the MV Akademik Shokalskiy."
The authority also said earlier Monday it was "unsafe to attempt to launch the helicopter from the Chinese vessel" given the weather, but further rescue attempts could be made once the weather improves.
Australia's rescue coordination centre is in regular contact with the ship, which has been stationary 100 nautical miles east of the French base Dumont D'Urville since December 24.
Its passengers, who had been following in the Antarctic footsteps of Australian Sir Douglas Mawson and his 1911-1914 expedition, remain safe and well on their well-provisioned vessel, the safety authority said.