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North Pole Dominick: Tracks and old campsite found! Plead out for search equipment
18:07 p.m. EST Mar 11, 2004
Bernard Buigues, the general manager of Polarcircle (formerly Cerpolex), just confirmed in a phone call with ExplorersWeb that the search flights today found tracks and a used campsite of the missing skier Dominick Arduin. She had been skiing and camping on solid ice. Although she could have been victim of a polar bear attack, or a fall in the water, the team now operates under the theory that Dominick is alive.
Her initial plan was to speed to the 85th degree as fast as possible, as she was very motivated to reach the North Pole this time. There, she would get her resupply drop. Dominick is known to be a very tough girl, and she could be trying to get to her drop stop as soon as possible.
The weather has been bad since her departure, with storms and whiteouts, which could have caused problems to power her satellite phones. Unaware of her failing beacon, she could well just go for it now.
There will be no more search flights conducted for her in the next few days, instead the flights are preparing to meet her up at the previously determined resupply drop point, five days from now. In that flight, the helicopter will continue their search, but the organizers desperately need search equipment to maximize their efforts. Infra red cameras, anything, to make it at all possible to find the skier. Pleads have been made to the Finish and French officials, but they have not yet been able to supply the technology needed.
The Russians and Polarcircle are currently conducting the search under a tremendous own, financial risk, and without vital search equipment. Pleads are now out to professional rescue organizations around the world for advanced search and rescue technology. Pls contact team@explorersweb.com
Five expeditions have set out for a North Pole expedition this year, all from the Russian side. Wave Vidmar to be the first American to ski solo and unsupported to the North Pole. Frédéric Chamard-Boudet to do the same for France. British Ben Saunders attempts a first solo, unsupported crossing. Danish/French duo Bettina Aller and Jean Gabriel Leynaud ski to the pole with support and French/Finnish woman Dominick Arduin attempts the first solo, female North Pole trek with support.
The global warming of the recent years have posed increasingly harsher conditions for North Pole expeditions. The skiers have faced more and more water, even taking to swim the Arctic ocean to reach their goal. Some have brought canoes to paddle, especially when going from the Russian side.
Last Friday, a big open water lead just off the starting point posed the first immediate problem for this years expeditions. Two solo skiers, French/Finnish woman Dominick and Frenchman Frederic decided to ski/paddle across the huge, 55 km semi open water area, in an attempt for a clean North Pole expedition (which must start from land).
Dominick estimated that her crossing to solid ice would take at least 2 days. An avid canoeist living in Arctic Finland, she is used to cold and water. She brought 10 kg of snow with her for fresh water, a canoe and a dry suit.
Several North Pole teams reported issues with their ARGOS positioning beacon. Dominick's beacon transmitted only faint signals.
Monday night a storm hit the area. The temperature was -40C/F, with strong winds. for 24 hours. Expeditions reported a drift of 1km/hour (15 miles/day) NorthWest, with a visibility of around 40 ft. There are large patches of thin ice and dangerous ice walls like the one that consumed the Russian Research station.
Frederic Chamard-Boudet, fell in the water and was rescued, but Dominick is missing since Friday.
Image a generic Arctic "top of the world image" taken last season, courtesy and copyright Martin Hartley.
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