Claims of a violently jealous love triangle, an attack with a carving knife, free-flowing beer and sexual harassment. At the remote research stations of the Antarctic, the human condition is challenged by the most basic urges.
The recent plea for rescue over safety fears about an allegedly unstable colleague at an ice-locked base is the latest instance of dramas and abuse that are as old as Antarctic research.
An uneasy calm has been restored to South Africa’s Sanae IV station, but winter is coming. Months of darkness and brutal weather will increase pressure on the nine-strong crew who are isolated until the end of the year.
