Posted on 01/25/2016 8:01:01 AM PST by BenLurkin
A friend of the Duke of Cambridge has died attempting to make a solo crossing of Antarctica to raise money for one of the Duke's charities.
Kensington Palace announced that Henry Worsley, 55, died in hospital in Chile, where he had undergone surgery after falling ill with bacterial peritonitis just 30 miles short of his goal.
The Duke, who was Patron of the expedition, said he was "incredibly proud" of the former SAS officer's effort, which raised more than £100,000 for the Endeavour Fund, part of the Duke's Royal Foundation charity.
Mr Worsley was trying to complete the journey that his hero Sir Ernest Shackleton failed to achieve 100 years ago in 1916. He was descended from Frank Worsley, the captain of Shackleton's ship Endurance.
...
Mr Worsley arrived in Antarctica last November to embark on his goal of completing the first ever unsupported and unassisted crossing of the Antarctic. He had spent 71 days trekking across the ice in temperatures as low as -44C, pulling a sled containing his tent and supplies.
A former Lt Col, he was a veteran of two other Antarctic expeditions. But he had to be airlifted off the ice on January 22nd suffering from peritonitis, a swelling of the abdomen caused by an infection. His 56-year-old wife was with him in Chile when he died.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
If Shackelton were alive today he’s say....
“Should have taken a plane”.
1%er problems - when they face so few challenges they have to create some.
“pulling a sled containing his tent and supplies”
Amundsen would say, “Use dogs; tastes like chicken”.
RIP.
I’m skeptical of “charities”. Seems like the heads of them always make huge salaries and very little goes to the ones it is being collected for.
Years ago I would always give to the United Way at work. Then I read a news story about the head of the U.S. United Way flying around first class on the Concorde SST airliner and setting up a penthouse for his girlfriend (he was married) all using United Way funds. This happened in the late ‘80s or early ‘90s. After that, I only charity give to my church.
The whole adrenalin junkie thing escapes me. I have these pansy under 30’s in my office always talking about their escapades and occasionally ask me to go. My answer is always I have been shot at enough I don’t have any adrenalin left.
I’ve done reckless/stupid things in my younger days, but nothing that can hold a candle to this. The thought of ending paralyzed or dead (or in this case, as a quadruple amputee due to frostbite) would usually temper my rash behavior.
These are people without the usual obstacles the rest of us face; literally bored to death.
There are a number of good charities, but certainly more bad ones. We give at church and also support a number of ministries and individual missionaries.
I used to do a charity bike tour for Multiple Sclerosis.
When I found out that almost 90% of the money raised went to their mission and to research and patients, I redouble my efforts.
I think over the years I raised about $20,000. But I alsways check when I’m supporting a charity
Yes, the top dogs get good bucks.
I now give to St. Jude's Hospital and thank God for the good health of my children.
Yep. 25 years ago I stopped giving to the United Way when I learned that the chairman of the Nashville chapter was making close to $360k per year with about another $100k in benefits.
If you want to give to a charity that doesn’t skim off a huge percentage in overhead, give to the Salvation Army.
RIP. I’m a huge Shackelton fan. His journey is an incredible story. It’s actually about five or six great stories wrapped into one. The initial journey, getting stuck in the ice, surviving under the lifeboats, leaving some of the crew and sailing one of the small boats to look for help through huge seas, and even the hike to the whaling station when they finally land are all epic and heroic tales by themselves. Again RIP to someone paying homage to a great explorer.
At least he went out with his boots on!
I am a huge fan of Shackleton as well. A nearly unbelievable story.
That they all survived, and in as good and nearly intact shape as they did (Physically AND psychologically) is a testament to the kind of leader Shackleton was.
And then, the 800+ mile journey in an open boat in Arctic winter from Elephant Island, with only three celestial bearings (done in a heaving small boat) and landing dead on at South Georgia Island (done mostly by dead reckoning) is a tale of navigation that ranks amongst the most monumental in human oceangoing navigation.
THEN, to try to go across the mountainous South Georgia Island, in boots that had screws taken from the boat to be driven inside out on the men’s boots to serve as crampons, is remarkable.
They had the boat at the Peabody Essex Museum a couple of years ago, and I can tell you, your respect for that accomplishment rises significantly when you see the size of that boat.
That was Mr. Aramony (spelling may be off). The hospital I worked at (for 4.34 per hour) wanted everyone to chip in for United Way. I refused. Then that scandal broke.
I think the Salvation Army has an excellent pass through rate, but I am on board with you from what I have seen in other charities since the United Way problems broke.
And we have to remember: Those guys back in 1912 weren’t wearing the best North Face gear...they were wearing woolens, and fur parkas!
They had a few guys try to replicate their journey across South Georgia Island with all modern gear, and I recall it took them a lot longer than three days...
I was forced to give the United Way when I was in the USN back in the Seventies. I will never give them a penny. Salvation Army is very good. I give to them every year, and have some personal stories about how worth it they are in a time of crisis.
So how did he get bacterial peritonitis?
I'm thinking mid 90s was when the United Way scandal blew. My company did an annual drive for them and they pressured us pretty hard to "volunteer" weekly pay deductions to them. To the point where low level guys would get calls from their VPs asking why they don't want to contribute. You felt like it was a "do it or else" situation. So we contributed. I didn't mind so much, I figured the United Way did a lot of good. Then that scandal hit.
I found out that you could, when you signed up to contribute, decide how the funds would be allocated. Default was 100% United Way. I redirected it all to several local hospices and some other local charities I was personally familiar with. Never gave another dime to the United Way.
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