British rowers stranded in an Arctic nightmare
Six-man crew trapped on freezing, storm-tossed island after four of them say: We can go no further
THREE British rowers attempting a record 1,200-mile voyage across the raging seas of the Arctic Ocean are stranded on a remote volcanic island after being battered by fierce storms.
The trio, part of a six-man crew, were forced to land on the tiny island of Jan Mayen, just 340 miles from their destination on Iceland.
The Polar Row team, including British double Olympic gold medallist Alex Gregory, had endured freezing temperatures and almost constant soaking in their fibreglass boat, which has neither an outboard motor nor sails.
Having landed on the island, the three Britons and another rower refused to continue because
‘The cold is seeping through my bones’
of safety fears. Only the boat’s Icelandic skipper and an American crewman wanted to keep going.
It is understood the stranded crew may not be evacuated from the 144 square mile island until next week but are being looked after by an 18-strong Norwegian military contingent based there.
Last night the Maritime & Coastguard Agency confirmed it had received an SOS.
Gregory, 33, a father-of-three who won rowing gold medals at the London and Rio Games, wrote on Twitter: ‘I truly believed I wouldn’t see land, my family or anything again.’
The t eam was being l ed by Icelandic athlete Fiann Paul, and also featured Gregory, fellow Britons Sam Vye and Danny Longman, and Americans Tyler Carneval e and Carlo Facchino. The expedition set off on July 20 from Tromso, Norway.
Gregory posted an emotional video message on Twitter after arriving on Jan Mayen on August 19, in which he described how the crew had been taken in by Norwegian military personnel who had ‘saved our lives’.
A post on the expedition’s Facebook page, from August 18, said the crew had a ‘phenomenally tough 72 hours’. It quoted Gregory saying: ‘We never seem to be getting very far, nothing changes. I’ve never been so wet and cold. It’s seeping into my bones, there is absolutely no escape from it. I have to wait for land. It’s getting worse though, the colder I get, the more I have to work during my shift, the sweatier I get, the wetter I get, the colder I get.’
Two days earlier he had written of ‘a grey, cold, damp, dangerous and pretty miserable existence’. On Friday, he told The Mail on Sunday by email: ‘Thinking heavily about my three young children I made the decision my journey would end on Jan Mayen. This was a personal decision, one that was also agreed to by three other crew members.
‘As it happens we were also the least experienced ocean rowers out of the six of us. Fiann Paul and Carlo, who are both extremely experienced and confident, were committed to continuing the journey to Iceland.’
He said there were no arguments and that ‘ Fiann as captain completely understands our decision and respects our decision. The differences of opinions have come through the individual’s perception and confidence in personal safety and ability to continue the expedition. We all continue to support Fiann in his challenge of finishing the expedition to Iceland’. It is not known if Paul and Facchino will carry on with fresh rowers.
Yesterday a Foreign Office spokesman said: ‘We are assisting three British men who have sought refuge on the Norwegian island of Jan Mayen following a rowing expedition and remain in contact with Norwegian authorities.’
The Maritime & Coastguard Agency said: ‘The UK Coastguard received a call from the rowers but as there was no threat to life, no search and rescue was required. The Coastguard contacted the rowers’ UK shore support team and informed the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.’
The crew were attempting to smash a number of world records to raise funds to build a school in the Himalayas. They were aiming to be the first to row the ocean from south to north, as well as being the fastest and largest team to row i n the Arctic. They were also conducting research.
‘It’s a grey, damp and miserable existence’