British explorer Henry Worsley dies crossing Antarctic, 30 miles short of goal

[Recursion]

Source: CNN

British explorer Henry Worsley has died attempting to be the first person to cross the Antarctic unaided, in an epic charity mission inspired by Ernest Shackleton.

The 55-year-old former British Army officer died after being airlifted to a hospital in Punta Arenas, Chile, suffering severe exhaustion and dehydration.

The father-of-two was found to have bacterial peritonitis (a bacterial infection in the abdomen), after having trekked around 913 miles unaided across the South Pole -- just 30 miles short of his end goal.

Worsley was 71 days into his record-breaking solo mission to complete legendary British explorer Ernest Shackleton's unsuccessful crossing of Antarctica a century ago.

Read more: http://edition.cnn.com/2016/01/25/world/henry-worsley-explorer-dies-antarctic/

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Shades of Scott's expedition...

[Katashi_itto]

1. K&R

[sulphurdunn]

2. One very tough man.

RIP

[Recursion]

3. My British friends "get" stuff like this, and I don't; I think that's a US/UK difference

I think Hillary (Edmund H., not H. Clinton) said of climbing that Commonwealth nations are like the US in that they feel that extreme exploration is a reckless waste of life, but unlike the US the public the Commonwealth public on some level agrees that it's something that "must be done".

[roomtomove]

5. It is lunacy

driven by ego, which is a typical british trait, or perhaps by an immense insecurity of not having accomplished anything in life, which is another british trait. In the british overly polite fashion, his last words were "I'm sorry". RIP

[Recursion]

6. In some ways it's hard not to admire a Scott or a Mallory

This is a little different in that we actually have a scientific research post at the literal south pole, so this isn't particularly adding to our knowledge.

That said, he had a dream and died pursuing it, and I will be the last to shit on that. Ave atque vale.

[Nye Bevan]

7. +1. Reckless? Foolhardy? Certainly. But very brave, too.

Especially compared to those whose greatest achievement is posting snarky comments on the internet from the comfort of their keyboard.

[muriel_volestrangler]

8. I don't think I'd say he didn't accomplish anything in life

Here, for instance is something he wrote last year:

Realising that cultural understanding was his ticket to staying alive, Lieutenant Colonel Henry Worsley looks back to his precarious time leading 15 soldiers through Helmand in the lead up to the war.

When, on 26th January 2006, John Reid announced to a packed House of Commons that the UK government would be deploying their armed forces to join the expanding NATO mission to southern Afghanistan – I was already there.

In fact, I had been in Lashkar Gah, the capital city of Helmand Province, for the previous two months working alongside a small US army civil affairs team as a set of ‘eyes and ears’ forward – carrying out an ‘information campaign’ prior to the UK troop arrival. What soon became evident was that we knew next to nothing about the fundamentals facing that deployment: the terrain of Helmand, the Pashtun culture and Pashtunwali code, the tribal system, the power brokers, who we should do business with, the strength and threat from the Taliban, how we should equip ourselves and the political messaging. The list of ‘unknowns’ seemed endless.

The task ahead of me seemed clear. Over four months I had to travel to every corner of the 13 districts that make up the province of Helmand and deliver a message. I had to gather together those who held power: the district chiefs, the tribal elders, the mullahs, the chief of police and explain to them why the UK were coming, what they were arriving with, how they were planning to use it and why this would make a difference to their livelihood. And in doing that, maybe, I could also gather some answers to address the significant gaps in our own knowledge.

To do this I had to travel in Land Rovers over hundreds of miles of desert and gravel plains, stay overnight in wadis under the stars, reach all the district centres, deliver my message, listen, debate and then live to tell the tale and report back my findings. The prospect of surviving that was both exhilarating and perturbing.

https://avauntmagazine.com/surviving-afghanistan

[xocet]

9. Your post is rude; it demeans the British; and it is insensitive. As such, it should be hidden.

Explorer Henry Worsley dies in Antarctic crossing

Explorer Henry Worsley has died after suffering exhaustion and dehydration as he tried to cross Antarctica unaided.

The ex-Army officer, from London, had been rescued 30 miles shy of his goal.

...

Mr Worsley, 55, was trying to complete the unfinished journey of his hero, Sir Ernest Shackleton, 100 years later, but in his final audio message, he said: "My summit is just out of reach."

...

Asked if he was "mad" to take on the challenge, he said: "What will drive me on is raising money for these wounded soldiers."

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-35398552

[sinkingfeeling]

4. Very sad. RIP

[kiri]

10. Had we lived, I should have had a tale to tell...

Robert Falcon Scott 1911
"Had we lived, I should have had a tale to tell about the hardihood, courage, and endurance of my comrades that would have stirred the heart of every Englishman. But these rough notes must tell that tale."

[daleo]

11. The British don't have easy access to guns in nearly every household

So, they have to manufacture their sense of danger, via these sorts of exploits. In some countries, just going for a stroll down the street is danger enough.