Former Astronaut, Second Man On The Moon Reportedly Fell Ill During Tour

Buzz Aldrin, the second man to set foot on the moon, has been evacuated from the South Pole where he was visiting on an organized tour.

In a statement, tour organizer White Desert said Aldrin was part of a tourist group. "While there his condition deteriorated. As a precaution, following discussion between the White Desert doctor and the US Antarctic Program doctor, Mr. Aldrin, accompanied by a member of his team, was evacuated on the first available flight out of the South Pole to McMurdo with the USAP under the care of a USAP doctor.  His condition was described as stable upon White Desert doctor's hand-over to the USAP medical team."

His family have been informed of the situation.  

"White Desert would like to express their gratitude to USAP at this time for their support," the company said in the statement.

The Washington Post reports that Aldrin's assistant Christina Korp said that Aldrin, 86, arrived at the pole November 29 for a scheduled nine-day visit. He fell ill shortly after arriving.

According to a statement from the National Science Foundation, Aldrin was evacuated from the pole aboard a ski-equipped LC-130 cargo planes flown by the 109th Airlift Wing of the New York Air National Guard provide the air bridge between the South Pole and McMurdo. The flight to New Zealand will be scheduled as soon as possible.

(Image provided by the National Science Foundation)

FMI: www.nsf.gov