3 people rescued from U.S. Antarctica base in high-risk operation

Three people in need of medical care were evacuated from McMurdo Station in Antarctica by New Zealand’s air force during a daring 20‑hour rescue mission in freezing temperatures and total darkness. One patient required urgent care, prompting the U.S. National Science Foundation to request help due to limited medical resources. A Royal New Zealand Air Force C‑130J Hercules, equipped with a doctor and night vision goggles, completed the mid‑winter evacuation after a U.S. team manually prepared a runway, CBS News has reported. U.S. officials called the operation “nothing short of heroic.”