Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — A team of South African scientist has been stranded for months at a remote Antarctica research base, leading to a disturbing incident in which one researcher suffered a mental breakdown and attacked his colleagues.
The incident occurred at Sanae IV, South Africa’s research station in Antarctica, where nine scientists have been stationed for an extended period.
The isolated base, located near the edge of an ice cliff, is manned year-round, with the current winter team not expected to be relieved until December when the harsh southern hemisphere winter storms subside.
South Africa’s Minister of Environment, Dion George, whose department oversees the country’s Antarctic program, confirmed that psychologists and other experts are in direct communication with the team at the base.
The situation came to light after an email from one of the researchers alleged that a male colleague had physically assaulted them and issued death threats. The researcher, who reported the incident, expressed fear for their safety and called for immediate intervention.
“It is deeply regrettable that [his] behavior has escalated to a highly disturbing level. Specifically, he has engaged in physical assault, a severe breach of personal safety and workplace norms,” read a letter published by South Africa’s Sunday Times, which first reported the incident, as reported by The Guardian on Friday (March 21).
“Furthermore, he has issued death threats, creating an atmosphere of fear and intimidation. I remain deeply concerned for my own safety, constantly wondering whether I will be his next victim.”
The letter also indicated that concerns about the alleged attacker had been raised multiple times before the situation reached this critical point.
Extreme Antarctic Conditions May Have Triggered Incident
South Africa first established a scientific station in Antarctica in 1960. Researchers at Sanae IV, which is accessible by icebreaker supply and research ships during the summer months, conduct experiments which could last for months
Experts suspect that the extreme conditions in Antarctica may have contributed to the scientist breakdown. The environment in Antarctica describes as a harsh, unpredictable, also physically and mentally challenging.
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Dr. Herman Van Niekerk, a geologist from the University of Johannesburg who recently returned from a two-month expedition at Sanae IV, noted that the frozen continent can push humans to their mental limits.
“I’ve taken students there, and some of them couldn’t handle the isolation, the extreme and terrifying weather, or the loss of perspective when you can’t judge distances in the endless white,” he explained, as reported by Detiknet.
All crew members undergo psychological testing before deployment to the base. “But you can’t predict how Antarctica will affect people once they are truly isolated, with no signs of life for miles,” Van Niekerk added.
Beyond the deadly cold and ferocious winds, Antarctica’s winter plunges the station into nearly total darkness for months. “When there’s no daylight, people fall into different time cycles, with some awake while others sleep. It’s an incredibly difficult environment,” he said.
Authorities are continuing to monitor the situation at Sanae IV while exploring options to ensure the safety of the remaining researchers.
(Raidi/Agung)
