CANADIAN TWIN OTTER GETTING READY FOR DOCTORS EVACUATION, 2001-04-22 (photo)

A team of Canadian civilian aviators make last adjustments on April 22, 2001, in Punta Arenas, on a De Havilland Twin-Otter for the further evacuation of physician Dr. Ronald Shemenski based at the U.S. scientific station Amundsen-Scott at the Southpole. The plane finally departed for the station on April 24 to pick up Shemenski, age 59, who has been suffering from gallstones and associated pancreatitis and must be evacuated as soon as possible in this flight to the Southpole under extreme conditions in the near-dark with temperatures around -75 Celsius (-103 Fahrenheit). A second plane will be waiting at Britain's Rothera research station on the Antarctic Peninsula and fly Shemenski to Chile's Punta Arenas where he is planned to board a commercial flight to the United States for medical treatment. CD