Tough UK Grandma Hopes To Set Pole-To-Pole World Record
Jennifer Murray, 63,
and Colin Bodill, 54, are planning a second around-the-world
helicopter flight record starting December 5th. The North-pole to
South-pole flight would be a world first.
The pair's first attempt in
2003 ended in disaster as their Bell 407 went down on the Ronne Ice
Shelf in Antarctica, a victim of the notoriously fast-changing
Antarctic weather. The crash site was 120 miles from the nearest
camp. They had already flown from New York down through Central and
South America to the South Pole, and were on the flip side headed
to the North Pole.
Bodill suffered a serious back injury in the crash requiring
several surgeries. Murray, suffering from a dislocated elbow,
managed to erect a survival tent and keep herself and Bodill alive
until help arrived.
An RAF base in Kinloss Scotland initially picked up the ELT
signal from Murray's and Bodill's downed helicopter. The word was
passed from there to a Falkland Island rescue service, then on to
the British Antarctic Survey team.
Murray and Bodill had prearranged and paid for search and rescue
services prior to departing. The rescue effort took nearly 17
hours, which is actually nearly as fast as is humanly possible
given the conditions.
The pair was airlifted from the crash site via Twin Otter to a
base camp at Patriot Hills, then on from there to Punta Arenas,
Chile.
Murray's online diary recounted the brutal and primitive
conditions the pair faced on the first attempt. "We camped 30 miles
out from the Pole," she wrote. "Finding a landing spot that would
hold the weight of the helicopter without sinking proved a
nightmare. Repeated attempts at landing were followed by that
sinking sensation. I suggested that I get out and put planks of
wood under the skids. While getting the wood out, my computer fell
on to the ice and I didn't have time to put on jacket and
gloves."
While awaiting rescue, the ambient temperatures hovered around
-40 degrees Fahrenheit.
Murray and Bodill plan to use another Bell 407 on the second
attempt. Their plan has them departing Fort Worth's Alliance
Airport on December 5th traveling 169 days through 34 countries
over 36,206 nautical miles.
Murray told the BBC, "We've always said we'll have another go,
and that's exactly what we're going to do. We've got unfinished
business."