British polar explorer Pen Hadow was rescued today from the North Pole after being stranded for eight days.
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The 41-year-old became the first person to reach the geographic North Pole unsupported from Canada on Monday May 19 but since then weather conditions had prevented rescue teams reaching him.
The explorer has been in a tent on floating ice with a plane on standby for a break in the weather to pick him up.
He has been on half rations of nuts, chocolate and dried fruit since Thursday.
On Friday the battery on Hadow's satellite telephone went dead, leaving him with only a signal beacon as a means of contact with his team at the EurekaWeather Station on Ellesmere Island, off Canada.
Steve Penikett, of Calgary-based Kenn Borek Air, which rescued the explorer, said that it was "a bit stupid" to go to the Pole at this time of year andthat the issue was not that Mr Hadow was going to run out of rations, but that people's lives were at risk during the rescue mission.
He told Sky News: "Landing on the North Pole at this time of year is not the brightest thing people can do because of the weather and ice conditions.
"The ice is breaking up, which makes it very difficult to find somewhere to land."
Mr Penikett said that the rescue team had headed towards Mr Hadow last night but they could not land alongside him and so waited about 30 miles away forbetter weather conditions and more light.
Mr Hadow marked out an area on the ice although it was moving so rapidly that it was dangerous for everyone involved, said Mr Penikett.
He added: "I wish it hadn't taken place at this time of year. This is the latest we have ever done a pick-up.
"People are at risk - the ice breaks and it shouldn't really happen.
"No one should expect to be picked up from there later than April 30," he said.
"It was not about him running out of food. Going to the Pole at this time of year is a bit stupid and you put a lot of people's lives at risk."
PA