Fiennes lands in S.Africa after Antarctic evacuation

Injured British adventurer Sir Ranulph Fiennes arrived in South Africa on Thursday for medical treatment after he was evacuated from an Antarctica expedition because of frostbite.

“He is in Cape Town, he is at a hospital,” said Tebogo Ramatjie, spokesman for the South African Maritime Safety Authority.

Fiennes, 68, was forced to pull out of an attempt by a six-member team to make the first winter crossing of the world’s coldest continent.

He landed in Cape Town shortly before 7:00 am (0500 GMT) Thursday, after bad weather stalled his evacuation for several days.

“He was whisked to an undisclosed hospital,” where he was fetched by a family member, Ramatjie said.

The expedition had said the explorer may fly to London on Sunday, he added.

The multiple record holder suffered frostbite to four fingers on his left hand after removing a glove to adjust a ski binding at the weekend.

He had suffered severe frostbite to the same hand more than a decade ago, and sawed off the damaged parts of his fingers himself.

The five remaining members of the team will press on with the mission, dubbed The Coldest Journey, and are set to start the winter crossing on March 21.

The campaign aims to raise $10 million (7.6 million euros) for the Seeing is Believing blindness charity and will carry out scientific research.

The expedition sailed from Cape Town in January.

Fiennes was the oldest Briton to summit Mount Everest, has crossed both polar ice caps, and has also crossed the Antarctic.