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 The Bering Strait Odyssey expedition evacuated | ||||||||||
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Dixie Dansercoer and Troy Henkels have been evacuated by a rescue helicopter Brussels Base camp, 7 April 2005 – We have just received word from The Bering Strait Odyssey communications headquarters in Alaska that the expedition has been evacuated due to extremely bad weather conditions. The south-easterly drift that drove the men away from their route had picked up enormous speed and it became impossible to pursue the expedition. Dixie Dansercoer and Troy Henkels have been picked up by a rescue helicopter on April 6, around noon Alaskan time, past midnight Belgian time. The worst conditions After one week on the ice, the explorers were making steady progress even if they were slowed down by both the continuing southerly drift and the difficulty of navigating through a maze of bad convoluted ice and small open leads. On April 5, Troy & Dixie were substantially south of King Island, drifting more and more away from their planned NW heading towards Siberia. The farther south they drifted, the worse the ice conditions became. The drift reached about 2km/hour. After a long night, Dixie and Troy had to face the fact that an evacuation would be much better in a controlled spot (still not too far from Nome) than a rescue helicopter in a remote area of the Bering Sea and in stormy conditions. Weather predictions had warned that Wednesday’s weather would take a turn for the worse, with high winds and precipitations, meaning that Dixie and Troy would need to be on solid ice and hunkered down to be able to withstand such a storm. Their present location was not solid enough. There was no guarantee that they could make it north-west to better ice in time for a storm with winds of up to 80km/hr. “It would have been too easy to continue, allow ourselves to physically weaken, place ourselves in a risky environment for the search and rescue team to reach us. We made the responsible decision, considering everyone involved, to opt for an evacuation instead of a rescue” says Dansercoer. Adventure is much more than competition Although Dixie Dansercoer and Troy Henkels’ goal of a double-back crossing of the Bering Strait has not been realised, several things must be noted. This feat has never before been tried. The first successful single crossing on foot was only accomplished as recently as 1998 – after four failed attempts – and from Siberia to Alaska (where a southerly drift turns out to be more positive). Since then, seven more attempts have been made, all unsuccessful. Dixie and Troy have faced extraordinarily difficult conditions, among them extreme cold, the hazards of travelling across unstable ice flows, and unpredictable weather. Before the expedition, Dixie Dansercoer explained his philosophy, “Preparation needs to be optimal. Whatever gets me closer to success, I do.” At the same time he acknowledged the inherent difficulties of the polar environment, humbly saying, “Nature decides.” For Dixie, every expedition is a success in terms of experience. The unique knowledge gained – both practical and personal – cannot be acquired in any other way. This lesson is only one out of many that the expedition has provided. Troy Henkels adds “We both lived a privilege that very few people on this planet have witnessed. And even though we were fully prepared, we won’t ever have the power to influence the weather conditions. ” A feeling of pride, no matter what the outcome “As sponsors of The Bering Strait Odyssey, we at Deloitte, DHL and Job@ feel very honoured to participate in Dixie’s adventure” says Delphine de la Kethulle, spokesperson for the expedition in Belgium. “We thank Dixie, Troy and their supporting team for their heroic efforts. And for all the inspiration The Bering Strait Odyssey has given to all of us. Clearly, the spirit of the expedition and the style in which it is executed enhanced again the motto we all share: “passion to perform” - no matter what the outcome.” After some really necessary sleep, Dixie and Troy will begin their communications, collect equipment, and gather their bearings. As the storm in Alaska begins to rage, they know that the timing was indeed just right.
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