Antarctic Evacuation Possible

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31077, 4 June 1966, Page 1

Antarctic Evacuation Possible

Whether the United

States Navy will make its second mid-winter air evacuation in two years of an injured seaman from McMurdo Station, Antarctica, should be known this morning.

The seaman is Utility Pipe Fitter, Second Class, Alberto Mayfield, of Forest City, Arkansas, who is suffering from an extra-peritoneal rupture of the bladder. No details were available at the United States Navy base at Christchurch airport yesterday on how the injury was caused. A message cabled at 6 a.m. yesterday (New Zealand time) from the commander of the United States Navy Antarctic Support Force (Rear-Admiral F. E. Bakutis) received at

Christchurch late yesterday afternoon said the decision would be made in the next 48 hours. Tests were in progress at the McMurdo Station dispensary which would determine the extent of Mr Mayfield’s injury and whether an air evacuation would be required.

All units likely to participate have already been alerted.

The Navy’s VX6 Squadron at Quonset Point, Rhode Island, will dispatch a skiequipped Hercules to Christchurch. On the last mid-win-ter evacuation from McMurdo Station in June, 1964, the Hercules took 36 hours, including stops for refuelling, to get to Christchurch. The plane was never on the ground for longer than one hour, as all bases along its route were alerted and ready. If there is a mission, quite probably it will be commanded by Commander D. Balish,

who will assume command of the squadron this month. He was co-pilot on the flight which brought Bethel Lee McMullen from McMurdo Station in June two years ago, ;nd he has completed two seasons of Antarctic flying. During May the maximum temperature at Scott Base was —l4 deg. Centigrade, while the minimum was —5O deg., or 90 degrees of frost. The average for the month was —32 deg. Centrigrade, while the average for April was 8 deg. warmer. N.Z. Assistance New Zealand will assist in the evacuation. Although no official request was made, the New Zealand Government was informed of the possibility of an air evacuation and the Navy Department has sent H.M.N.Z.S. Taranaki to Dunedin in case it is needed as an ocean weather picket about 60 degrees south of New Zealand. \

The United States Navy has also made an informal inquiry to the Royal New Zealand Air Force to see if it could provide a “back up” aircraft to the Hercules. The R.N.Z.A.F. offered its fullest co-operation. While the planning for the evacuation was going on, medical advice was being transmitted from United States Navy surgeons in Washington to the doctor at the McMurdo station dispensary on methods of treatment. There were no reports that Mr Mayfield’s condition had changed throughout the day. According to the commander of the Navy base at Christchurch airport (Commander W. H. Withrow) the dispensary at McMurdo station is staffed by the doctor and three or four medical corpsmen. If there is a flight then it is more likely that Mr Mayfield will be evacuated, not operated on at the dispensary.