Revealed: Why Antarctic scientist 'snapped' on remote base as team begs for rescue after 'assaults and death threats'
18 March 2025, 10:09
A scientist on a remote Antarctic base where people are begging for rescue after claims of assaults is said to have snapped - because a work schedule was changed.
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The scientists, sent to study the continent’s climate at the Sanae IV base, are completely cut off due to extreme weather and ice floes, making it impossible for any outside assistance or evacuation.
A researcher from the team sent an alarming message to South Africa’s Sunday Times, revealing that one team member had physically assaulted another and threatened to kill them.
The message described an environment of fear and intimidation, noting that the situation had escalated to a point where the team felt unsafe.
A government official said that the scientist accused of the assault and death threat had become upset because of a change to the work schedule.
He said the shocking behaviour was due to "a dispute over a task the team leader wanted the team to do – a weather dependant task that required a schedule change".
The email read: "Regrettably, [his] behaviour has escalated to a point that is deeply disturbing. Specifically, he physically assaulted [name withheld], which is a grave violation of personal safety and workplace norms.”
The message further detailed that the accused individual had also threatened to kill a team member, exacerbating the sense of danger within the group. In addition to the threats, the accused was also alleged to have committed sexual assault against another researcher.
"His behaviour has become increasingly egregious, and I am experiencing significant difficulty in feeling secure in his presence," the letter stated. “It is imperative that immediate action is taken to ensure my safety and the safety of all employees.”
With the team stranded at the research base, where winter temperatures average minus 23°C and wind speeds can reach up to 135 mph, help is not readily available.
The team’s isolation and the harsh conditions are raising serious concerns about their well-being and safety.
'Very disorientating'
Dion George, South Africa’s Minister of Environment, has expressed his intent to speak with team members to assess the situation.
He acknowledged that tensions can rise in such a confined environment, saying: He said: “There was a verbal altercation between the team leader and this person.
"Then it escalated and then that person did physically assault the leader.
"You can imagine what it’s like, it is close quarters and people do get cabin fever. It can be very disorientating.”
George also noted that researchers are required to undergo psychometric evaluations before being sent to Antarctica due to the psychological demands of the remote, harsh environment.
'Very, very lonely'
Professional explorer Alan Chambers, who completed a 700-mile skiing expedition to the South Pole, told the Times of the extreme isolation faced by those working in such conditions.
“From a psychological perspective it’s a very very lonely place.
"There’s very little interaction with humans or animals so if you’re in a camp or a research centre you’re with those people for six months, if not a year.
“What I think it does, from a psychological point of view, is that everything becomes heightened. It’s all white — there’s no colour, no noise and nothing you would see as normal so everybody’s behaviour — including your own — gets magnified and the little things become the big things."
The situation remains dire, with the team unable to receive outside help until conditions improve.
The South African government is expected to take further action to ensure the safety of the team members, though the resolution may take time given the ongoing extreme weather conditions.
The first Sanae base was established in 1959.
South Africa also formally administers two islands between the country and Antarctica, Prince Edward and Marion, where it has a research station.
In 2017, an “unstable” team member on Marion Island was reported to have attacked a colleague in the kitchen with a frying pan and destroyed his room with an axe.
