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CNN Live Today

Dave Mill Used Wits, Technology to Call for Help

Aired May 27, 2002 - 14:54   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: During quest to reach the top of the world, bad weather pinned explorer Dave Mill down inside the Arctic Circle. When things got hopeless he used his wits and a little cutting-edge technology to call for help. Reporter Ruth Hockey of Britain's Independent Television News has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RUTH HOCKEY, ITV REPORTER (voice-over): Dave Mill arrives back in Britain 47 days after setting out from Canada to become the first solo explorer to reach the North Pole unaided. With him, some of the equipment essential to his survival in temperatures of minus 48 Celsius.

Just six days into the trek, bad weather started to close in and the conditions grew steadily worse over the next few weeks. Soon, strong winds and the gravitational pull of a full moon would raise the level of the ocean and lift the ice into mountainous peaks.

It was time to get out. So Mr. Mill set about building an aircraft runway.

DAVE MILL, BRITISH EXPLORER: I took a picture of the runway from the north position and the south position, and then sent it into the PDA via a card. Then from the PDA to the phone, and just sent it like you would on the Internet.

And then from that, the first day the charter company saw exactly what they were looking at. And then they launched the aircraft 3/4 of an a hour later. And I just waited for them to come in.

HOCKEY: Mr. Mill was 313 miles from his goal when the rescue plane arrived. It was his third attempt to reach the geographical North Pole, and the third time he had to turn back. But he remains undeterred. He'll try again and again, if need be, to cross 500 miles of some of the most unforgiving terrain on earth, in his quest to reach the top of the world.

Ruth Hockey, ITV News.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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