An American teenager is currently stuck in Antarctica after allegedly illegally landing his single-engine airplane in Chilean territory.
19-year-old Ethan Guo, who was in the midst of navigating a trip around the world when he landed at the world’s southernmost pole, has been stuck in the icy region since June, according to the Associated Press. Upon landing, local officials charged Guo with providing them with “false flight plan information” and landing without authorization. Since then, he has been staying at a military base while he awaits movement on the court case, AP writes.
Unlike the exploits of many other influencers, Guo’s stunt does seem to have involved a noble goal: the young American wants to become the youngest person to fly to all seven continents, while also collecting donations for childhood cancer research along the way. The teen’s “Flight Against Cancer” has so far raised $131,000, according to the St. Jude fundraiser page associated with the effort. Guo has said that he hopes to raise over $1 million, which will go to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.
On Monday, the charges against Guo were dropped as part of an agreement between his lawyers and Chile’s prosecutors, the AP writes. To avoid a trial, the agreement requires that Guo donate $30,000 to a children’s cancer foundation within 30 days, the outlet says. He is also required to leave the country as soon as conditions allow, and he is not to return to Chile for a period of three years. Gizmodo reached out to Guo through his Instagram for comment.
At the time that he became stranded, Guo had already finished much of his journey, having traversed six of the world’s continents, the BBC reports.
According to Guo’s fundraiser, he originally began learning to fly when he was 13. He subsequently became interested in beating the world record for the youngest person to fly to all seven continents. “Unfortunately, my cousin, who is the same age as me, developed stage 4 Hodgkin’s lymphoma. As a young man, I watched the disease affect the people closest to me, such as my grandparents and aunts, little by little,” Guo wrote. “Since then, I decided to do what I could for Cancer research. In order to raise funds for research and international awareness, I decided that by breaking the record, I could get the necessary attention to influence and help as many people as possible who are suffering from the disease.”
It’s unclear when Guo will be heading back to the U.S. He has said that, when he is released, he hopes to continue his trip around the world. “I remain in Antarctica awaiting approval for my departure flight,” the teen told the Associated Press on Monday. “I sincerely hope they give it to me soon so that I and my plane can continue with my original mission.”
Update 8/13 1:30PM: Guo’s legal team disputes Argentinian authorities’ accusations, and they sent Gizmodo the following statement:
Recent reporting has presented a one-sided and incomplete narrative of the events in Antarctica, relying on the prosecution’s initial, unfounded accusations while ignoring the substantial evidence that led to a settlement fully vindicating Mr. Guo.
To correct the record, documentary evidence and audio recordings provided to the prosecutor definitively show that Mr. Guo’s original destination was Ushuaia, Argentina, as confirmed by his flight plan and fee payments. Due to bureaucratic confusion over flight rule permissions, Chilean officials suggested he circle in darkness over Tierra del Fuego before proceeding to Ushuaia at sunrise. While doing so, he encountered instrument failures and heavy, unreported icing conditions caused by high cloud cover over the Andes, creating an imminent risk of a crash.
To avert disaster, he diverted over the ocean. Once over the ocean, he experienced engine-related issues, likely to due to sudden, weather-related pressure changes. Due to these cascading failures, Mr. Guo requested and received explicit, direct permission to land at the Marsh base from a high-ranking DGAC official via WhatsApp, an authorization that was subsequently confirmed by the base’s air traffic controller.
The legal ordeal was a direct result of the prosecutor’s refusal to acknowledge this clear evidence. Despite his exoneration, the Chilean government has not allowed him to fly his airworthy plane off the base, resulting in his de facto confinement on the island for a month and a half. The stress of this ordeal has caused a severe deterioration in his health, including a 20 kg weight loss and a diagnosis of pericarditis (inflammation of the heart’s outer membrane). While he is grateful for efforts to secure him passage on a boat, he is frustrated that there is no plan for his plane, preventing him from continuing his charitable mission to raise funds for St. Jude.
