A 63-year-old English grandmother and her 53-year-old male co-pilot are recovering in a Chilean hospital after the helicopter they were trying to fly around the world via the polar route crashed in Antarctica Saturday. Officials credit Polar First Challenge co-pilot Colin Bodill with saving Jenny Murray’s life after the chopper went down in bad weather about 120 miles from the Patriot Hills base on the frozen continent. Despite serious chest injuries, Bodill was able to pull Murray, who dislocated an elbow, from the wreckage and prepare for their survival in minus-40-degree temperatures, before he collapsed from his injuries. Battling high winds, Bodill wrapped Murray in a sleeping bag and set up a tent. He also lit a stove for warmth before he lapsed into unconsciousness. The chopper’s ELT signal was picked up, via satellite, by an air force base in England and the pair was rescued a few hours later by a Twin Otter from Antarctic Logistics and Expeditions. The pilots were treated by a doctor at the Patriot Hills base before being flown to a hospital in Punta Arenas, Chile. Murray’s husband, Simon (himself on an Antarctic expedition) praised Bodill’s actions. “Colin behaved heroically in the face of extreme adversity, displaying quick thinking, thoughtful care and consideration,” he told The Scotsman. Murray also got a word of encouragement from her friend and patroness of the expedition, Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York. “I know this won’t deter [Murray] from trying again and it certainly won’t be her last adventure, although both of them will be more than aware that nature always has the last word,” she said
