March 10, 2004 Less than a week after setting out for the North Pole from Cape Arkticheskiy, on the northern coast of Siberia, French-Finnish female expeditioner Dominick Arduin is missing.
After a five-mile ski on the first day of her journey, the 43-year-old found herself faced with 33 miles of open water. Three separate expeditions en route to the North Pole opted for a helicopter ride across the gap, while Arduin and another expeditioner, Frederic Chamard-Boudet, sought to cross the obstacle under their own power, in order to complete their journeys in true solo style.
Arduin planned to kayak across the open water, estimating that the crossing would take her two days. Conditions in the water were sub-optimal: Temperatures hovered around minus-40 degrees, with 30-to-50 knot winds and heavy tides caused by the full moon.
According to updates posted on her website, www.arctic-dominick.com, she wore a drysuit, and brought 20 pounds of snow with her, to melt as drinking water. She also had with her 180 pounds of skiing and trekking gear, including two satellite phones, a GPS unit, and an emergency transmitter that broadcast her position every 90 seconds. She had planned to call her support team and the Finnish Broadcasting Company daily with updates, but nobody has heard from Arduin since Friday.
Fellow traveler Charmard-Boudet, who tried to ski around the water, broke through thin ice on his third day, and after four minutes in the freezing Arctic water, sustained severe frostbite to his hands and feet. He managed to crawl into his bivy to warm up a bit, and set off a distress signal. He was resuced by a Russian helicopter Tuesday afternoon, according to Thepoles.com. The rescuers also searched for Arduin, but were unable to locate her, even after a return mission to the area today.
Arduin, who has lived in northern Finland since 1988, has proven her ability to endure harsh conditions. In 1987 she won the Paris to Dakar Mountain Bike Rally, and has also competed in the Eco-Challenge and the Raid Gauloise. Last year, she attempted to become the first woman to ski solo to the North Pole . On that unsuccessful expedition, she fell into the water, sustained severe frostbite, and eventually had several of her toes partially amputated.
