Crew Spent 28 Hours On Glacier Awaiting Rescue

The Danish Navy rescued two pilots after they were forced to make an emergency landing on the Greenland Icecap Tuesday night.

The pilots, Laure Delesalle and Loic Pochet, were reported to have suffered minor injuries and were taken to a hospital in Tasilaq; they were due to arrive in Iceland Friday, according to the Iceland Review. Pochet is said to have suffered broken ribs and a bruised sternum.

The pair began their journey to the EAA AirVenture in OshKosh, WI, in Paris July 14. They had stopped in Scotland and the Faroe Islands prior to crossing into Greenland. They planned to raise awareness and gather sponsor support for Pochet's upcoming
transatlantic flight attempt.

Media sources report bad weather forced what has been termed a crash landing. The crew had to wait on the icecap for 28 hours because of deteriorating weather and poor visibility, but rescue personnel managed to make an emergency supply drop.

There is reportedly serious damage to their ultralight amphibious airplane.

Delesalle said neither she nor Pochet were overly concerned about being stranded on a glacier because they knew help was coming. They had been flying with helicopter escorts prior to the accident.

"Soon after the crash we noticed helicopters, I don't think more than three hours had passed. We had blankets, a little food and water so it wasn't that bad," she said.

Delesalle told Icelandic newspaper Morgunbladid some of what happened after she and Pochet went down.

"He (Pochet) had difficulty breathing to begin with. He still made it out of the airplane and dragged me out. For the first half hour I was very confused; I didn't know my name, what had happened or what we were doing on that glacier."

Delesalle and Pochet are scheduled to be released from the hospital Friday then go to Reykjavík in the afternoon, then return to Paris Saturday. Delesalle said they would not be attempting that route again anytime soon.

Delesalle was grateful to the Danish navy for their rescue. "We wouldn't be alive today without them."

FMI: www.loic-pochet.com