Chilean authorities have freed American aviator Ethan Guo after his detention due to an emergency landing in Antarctica.
Ethan Guo, a 20-year-old American pilot, has finally been allowed to leave Chile after being stranded there since late June. Guo's ordeal in Antarctica began when his single-engine Cessna experienced engine failure during his flight to the continent.
Guo landed at the military base on King George Island with "explicit, direct permission" from Chilean authorities. However, Chilean authorities later claimed that Guo violated international regulations regarding Antarctica and arrested him, charging him with providing false flight information and landing without a permit in Chilean Antarctica.
During the initial proceedings, Guo was prevented from sharing his phone and documents with his attorneys. A Chilean court suspended Guo's case early last month and ordered him to donate $30,000 to a local charity in exchange for the charges being dropped. As a gesture of goodwill, Guo is donating to Fundación Nuestros Hijos, a children's cancer charity in Chile.
The Chilean Air Force supports Guo in flying his plane from King George Island to the mainland. However, Chile's aviation authority is coordinating with Guo to arrange for another pilot to fly his aircraft to the mainland, as Guo is barred from re-entering Chilean territory for three years, according to Chilean officials.
Guo maintains that he faced an in-air emergency and was granted approval by Chilean authorities to land on King George Island. He called his legal entanglement "deeply unfair" and said his legal team is considering further action. Guo hopes to resume his global fight against cancer once his aircraft is flown to the mainland.
This report was contributed to by Clara McMichael, Meredith Deliso, Ayesha Ali, and Aicha El Hammar Castano.
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