Rescue plane en route to evacuate man in Antarctica

[link to www.msnbc.msn.com]

American crew member from U.S. research station said to be in serious but stable condition

A rescue plane is in the air en route to McMurdo Station in Antarctica in an effort to evacuate an American crew member from the U.S. research station, LiveScience has learned. The man is said to be in serious but stable condition. Officials have not said if he is ill or injured.

The call for a medevac team went out on Thursday (Sept. 9), but poor weather conditions in Antarctica have thwarted attempts to land planes to take the sick man back to Christchurch, New Zealand.

"Weather continues to be an issue," said Will Colston, director of Antarctica logistics for the U.S. National Science Foundation. "Weather can change at any point in time."

After an aborted attempt to send in a New Zealand Air Force Orion aircraft early Sunday, the same craft is attempting another landing at McMurdo's air strip and is about three hours out from the station. The trip from Christchurch takes about 6 hours in the Orion plane......

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