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British explorer dies trying to cross Antarctic solo

Source: AFP | January 26, 2016, Tuesday | Online Edition

BRITISH adventurer Henry Worsley has died in an attempt to make history by crossing the Antarctic alone in a trip backed by members of the royal family, his wife said on Monday.

Worsley, 55, was just 30 miles (48 kilometers) from the finish when he called for help and was airlifted to a hospital in Chile on Friday suffering from exhaustion and severe dehydration.

"It is with heartbroken sadness I let you know that my husband, Henry Worsley, has died following complete organ failure," his wife Joanna said in a statement.

Worsley died in the Clinica Magallanes in Punta Arenas, Chile, "despite all efforts" of medical staff, she added.

She said Worsley had raised ￡100,000 ($143,000, 132,000 euros) for the Endeavour Fund, a charity to help people wounded in the military and backed by Prince William, his wife Kate and brother Prince Harry.

William paid tribute to Worsley and his attempt to cross Antarctica via the South Pole -- a feat left unfinished by explorer Ernest Shackleton a century ago.

"Harry and I are very sad to hear of the loss of Henry Worsley. He was a man who showed great courage and determination and we are incredibly proud to be associated with him," William said.

A former Army officer from London, Worsley had hoped to become the first man to cross the Antarctica solo, unsupported and without assistance.

He was 71 days into the attempt when he called for help. A statement on his website said he was found to be suffering from peritonitis, an inflammation of the lining of the abdomen.

In his final statement from the expedition he expressed his dismay at having to pull out so close to the end after covering almost 1,500 kilometers on foot, dragging his equipment in a sledge.

"It is with sadness that I report it is journey's end -- so close to my goal," he said.

Another British explorer, Ranulph Fiennes, dropped out of a similar charity trek in 2013.

- Modern-day hero explorer -
Worsley was from Fulham in south-west London and had two children, Max aged 21 and Alicia aged 19.

He spent 36 years in the British army, and had a keen interest in the lives of Edwardian explorers. He authored a book about Shackleton, who famously tried and failed to make the same Antarctic crossing in a 1914 expedition.

Shackleton died of a heart attack on his way back to Antarctica for a new expedition in 1922.

Shackleton's granddaughter Alexandra Shackleton sent her condolences for Worsley's death.

"This is a day of great sadness. Henry will be a huge loss to the adventuring world and the fact that he very, very nearly made it -- only 30 miles short of his goal -- makes it in some way seem worse," she told the BBC.

Tributes poured in for Worsley, including from retired football star David Beckham, who recounted a story about the explorer lending him his Union Jack flag for a snapshot when the former England captain made his own Antarctic trip.

"No words can describe the sadness of the loss of Henry Worsley," Beckham wrote on his Facebook page.

Paul Rose, a former base commander for the British Antarctic Survey, told the BBC Worsley's expedition was "unheard of".

"It's a tremendous journey... I've worked for many, many years in Antarctica. The conditions haven't changed from (legendary explorer Robert Falcon) Scott and Shackleton's days. The Antarctic is still an incredibly hostile place," he said.

"I thought he would cruise the last little bit but when the system gets that run down then all kinds of things begin to happen."

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