Close Call on the Ice: Researchers' Harrowing Escape from a Collapsing Glacier
Researchers exploring glaciers in the Arctic narrowly escaped disaster when an ice mass they were on flipped into the sea. What saved them?
In a daring and frightful incident, researchers studying glaciers in the archipelago between Norway and the North Pole narrowly escaped death when a massive glacier they were atop of abruptly flipped into the sea. Their lives hung in the balance as the ice threatened to crush them beneath its weight.
Led by seasoned researcher Mike Horn, who captured the tense moments on camera, the team faced this unprecedented moment. With 30 years of experience investigating the region, Horn admitted he had never encountered danger quite like this before.
Intrigued by an enormous glacier during their navigation around it, Horn and fellow researcher Fred Roux decided to climb it using specialized boots and poles. "For a while, everything seemed fine," Fred recounted. "Suddenly, we felt a dramatic shift, and the glacier began to collapse and overturn while we were tethered to it. We had no choice but to leap quickly into the water."
Reports indicate that a powerful wave generated by the glacier's movement swept both researchers a few meters away, a fortuitous distance that saved them from being crushed under the glacier's immense weight. "I've done plenty of reckless things over 30 years around the world and survived numerous accidents, but these moments made me realize it's far safer to see ice cubes in your cold drink than to encounter giant ice blocks crashing down on you in the Arctic. I'm grateful to have come home alive," Horn reflected.
