By NewsMata
A group of South African scientists has pleaded for help, saying they are trapped in an isolated base on a cliff edge in Antarctica with a team member who has become violent.
One of the team has been accused of assault and threatening violence against his colleagues, according to the South African newspaper The Sunday Times.
Why It Matters
The overwintering team, a group that remains in a remote and extreme environment during winter months, knew that 10 of their 15 months at the base would be spent in isolation but may now be in danger from one of their own members, who has been accused of being mentally unstable.
Members will have undergone psychometric tests to ensure they could withstand the stress of this isolation but the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), which manages the South African National Antarctic Programme, now plans to re-test them.
What To Know
South Africa’s isolated Sanae IV Antarctic base is cut off from the world for the next 10 months because of the winter weather.
A member of the overwintering team has reportedly sent an email to the South African government accusing another team member of physical and sexual assault.
“His behavior has become increasingly egregious, and I am experiencing significant difficulty in feeling secure in his presence,” the email said, according to The Sunday Times, “it is imperative that immediate action is taken to ensure my safety and the safety of all employees.”
The writer called the man’s behavior “deeply disturbing” and said he had created an “environment of fear and intimidation.”
“I remain deeply concerned about my own safety, constantly wondering if I might become the next victim,” they said.
Concerns had been raised about this team member’s behavior before this point, The Sunday Times reports, when there was still an opportunity for the SA Agulhas II to evacuate the team member before it departed Antarctica.
The only way to leave the base now is through emergency medical evacuation to a German base around 186 miles away, according to two sources with inside knowledge, as cited by South African media.
“They had all the time to remedy the situation, but they simply buried their heads in the sand hoping that it’ll go away,” one source said, “they were informed about the problem as early as December.”
Newsweek has contacted the DFFE, via email, for a response to this.
What People Are Saying
DFFE communications chief Peter Mbelengwa said: “The department is responding to these concerns with the utmost urgency and have had a number of interventions with all parties concerned at the base.
“A full investigation is being commissioned, and the department will act accordingly in relation to any wrong conduct against any official that has misconducted themselves.”
He added: “During this unforeseen incident, the department is engaging with the professional that undertook the psychometric evaluation, to have the overwinterers reassessed and to assist with coping mechanisms during their time at the base, inclusive of conflict resolution strategies, interpersonal skills improvement as well as overall counseling and support.”
What Happens Next
The DFFE has launched an investigation and said they are monitoring the situation on a near-daily basis. (Newsweek)