Punta Arenas, Chile – Henry Worsley, a British explorer trying to become the first person to cross the Atlantic alone died on January 24th, 71 days after setting out and just 30 miles from the end of the almost 1,000-mile trek.
Worsley, 55 year-old former a former British military officer who had served in Bosnia, Kosovo and Afghanistan, had covered 913 miles of the trek when he made a call for help. He was airlifted to an hospital in Chile, suffering from exhaustion and severe dehydration. There he was diagnosed with bacterial peritonitis. After that, he died at a medical facility in Punta Arenas.
His death was announced on Shackleton Solo, the website which chronicled Mr. Worsley’s expedition, which aimed to raise money for the Endeavour Fund in Britain –a project founded to help wounded servicemen and servicewomen. Worsley’s wife, Joanna, said the expedition had raised more than 100,000 pounds (approximately $140,000).
His wife said in a statement that the cause of death was complete organ failure, despite all efforts medical staff at the Clinica Magallanes in Punta Arenas, Chile. He had undergone surgery for bacterial peritonitis, an infection in the abdomen that can lead to septic shock.
The diary recording of the explored, which was released to the expedition team’s website, reveled his last moments, where the explorer documented he knew he would not be able to finish his journey.
“My journey is at an end. I’ve run out of time, physical endurance, and simple sheer ability to slide one ski in front of the other to travel the distance required to reach my goal. My summit was just out of reach. I’ve spent 70 days on my own in a place I love. I’ll lick my wounds, they will heal over time, and I’ll come to terms with the disappointment,” the diary reads.
His final message on January 22th was a call for help he said “It is with sadness that I report it is journey’s end, so close to my goal.”
Worsley was trying to complete the projected route of adventurer Sir Ernest Shackleton tried a century ago. Shackleton’s ship became trapped in the ice off Antarctica in January 1915, leading to an epic rescue that included Shackleton and five others sailing a small boat 800 miles to reach help on South Georgia Island.
Source: The New York Times