Newswise — A crew member aboard the National Science Foundation research vessel Laurence M. Gould is missing and presumed dead after apparently falling overboard in Antarctic waters.
The crew member, employed by Raytheon Polar Services Co., of Centennial, Colo., was discovered missing in the early afternoon on Monday, April 17 while the ship was en route north to its home port of Punta Arenas, Chile from NSF's Palmer Station on the Antarctic Peninsula.
Argentine and Chilean search and rescue officials were notified.
NSF is not identifying the missing person. Next of kin have been notified.
The Gould was at approximately 60 degrees south latitude when the incident occurred. It turned about to retrace its path while crew members performed a thorough search of the vessel.
Weather and sea conditions were harsh, with winds gusting between 20 and 40 knots (23 to 46 mph), seas building to 20 feet (six meters) with rain and snow.
NSF manages the U.S. Antarctic Program and coordinates U.S. scientific research on the southernmost continent and the surrounding oceans.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering, with an annual budget of $5.58 billion. NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 1,700 universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives about 40,000 competitive requests for funding, and makes nearly 10,000 new funding awards. The NSF also awards over $400 million in professional and service contracts yearly.
Useful NSF Web Sites:NSF Home Page: http://www.nsf.govNSF News: http://www.nsf.gov/news/For the News Media: http://www.nsf.gov/news/newsroom.jspScience and Engineering Statistics: http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/ Awards Searches: http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/
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