By Craig McKune
An injured researcher has been safely airlifted from Marion Island and is in good health aboard the research vessel the SA Agulhas.
The ship is expected back in Cape Town on Wednesday.
Nangaadzishumi Nefhere suffered from hypothermia after falling into the icy southern ocean nearly two weeks ago.
The Agulhas was sent five days later and arrived at the island on Saturday afternoon.
Details of Nefhere's injuries are sketchy, but department of environmental affairs spokeswoman Carol Moses said: "The injuries are of the nature that would require him to be evacuated from the island."
Agulhas captain Freddie Ligthelm said: "Except for a spell of seasickness, he's eating in the mess with us and he's doing fine."
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He said doctors on the ship were monitoring Nefhere, but that he would be taken to a specialist in Cape Town this week.
A former University of Venda student, the researcher was reportedly photographing orcas as part of the island's mammal research programme when he fell into the water.
He had been on the island about two months and was due to leave next April, after which had the option of using the research in an honours degree at the University of Pretoria.
"It's been a bit of a traumatic event from him. He was unconscious for a couple hours when he went into hypothermia. But in Cape Town they will have the facilities where they can make a proper assessment of his condition."
Nefhere was airlifted to the ship by a Kamov helicopter.
"We picked him up (on Saturday) afternoon," said Ligthelm.
"We stopped about 35km from the island when we were close enough to airlift him. We had some problems with snow, and the weather wasn't suitable for flying, but we eventually got to him when there was a window in the weather."
craig.mckune@inl.co.za
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This article was originally published on page 3 of Cape Times on July 20, 2009
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