- A six-hour search recovered the body of Captain Javier Montojo Salazar
- He is believed to have fallen into the freezing sea from a research vessel
- Temperatures at this time of the year in the region can drop to -44C
The captain of a Spanish oceanographic research vessel sailing in Antarctica has died after accidentally falling in to the freezing sea, Lavanguardia.com has reported.
It quoted deference officials as saying that the body of Javier Montojo Salazar – who disappeared in the vicinity of a Spanish base on Livingston Island – was located after six hours of searching.
A statement by the defence ministry said the captain’s remains will be taken to Argentina before being repatriated to Spain.
An undated handout photo made available by the Spanish Defence Ministry on 03 March 2018 shows Spanish Commander Javier Montojo Salazar at an unspecified location in Antarctica
The body of Captain Salazar was reportedly found after a six-hour search
Antarctica’s climate is bone-chillingly cold throughout the year – anyone who falls into the sea would not live long
A humpback whale breaching in the freezing seas off Antarctica
Daily temperatures in Antarctica can drop to -44C while any travellers to this most inhospitable of regions must brave blizzard-like whiteouts
The dead sailor was reported to have fallen off ‘Hesperides’, an oceoanographic and polar research ship operated by the Spanish Navy.
Antarctica is one of the world’s seven continents and is the southernmost point in the world.
During the winter, much of the water surrounding Antarctica freezes. This sea ice nearly doubles the size of continent.
In January 2016 British explorer Henry Worsley died of exhaustion and dehydration during an effort to become the first adventurer to cross Antarctica unassisted.
He braved an environment that was so inhospitable that it would have pushed even the fittest explorer to breaking point. Daily temperatures drop to -44C while travellers must battle blizzard-like whiteouts.