U.S. teen detained in Antarctica while attempting solo flight to 7 continents

An American teen was detained connected an Antarctic land portion attempting to aviator his tiny level to each continent, said Chilean authorities, who person charged him for allegedly submitting a mendacious formation plan.

Ethan Guo, 19, gained an online pursuing by documenting his travel astir the world, which lasted good implicit 100 days and had already taken him to six continents anterior to the Antarctic voyage, according to his website and social media posts. 

Guo said helium hoped to go the archetypal aviator to implicit a solo formation crossed each 7 continents successful a tiny Cessna, a feat that simultaneously aims to rise $1 cardinal for crab probe done St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. On his site, the teen cites his cousin's 2021 crab diagnosis arsenic his root of inspiration.

Guo's latest Instagram posts chronicled portion of his way implicit southeastern Asia. But authorities successful South America accidental helium went connected to traverse the Pacific Ocean, ending up successful Chile earlier making his mode toward Antarctica. 

Snow covers the scenery astatine King George Island, South Shetlands, Antarctica, connected Nov. 25, 2023. Jorge Saenz / AP

According to Cristian Cristoso Rifo, the determination authoritative of Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica, Guo departed from the airdrome successful the metropolis of Punta Arenas, adjacent the southernmost constituent of Chile, and proceeded to behaviour an unauthorized formation to King George Island. Located disconnected the Atlantic coast, the land is claimed by Chile arsenic portion of its Atlantic territory.

The young aviator landed his level astatine the island's Teniente R. Marsh Airport, wherever helium was detained, Cristoso said successful a video connection shared to societal media connected Monday. The prosecutor's bureau charged Guo for violating 2 articles of the Chilean Aeronautical Code, including 1 that calls for either short-term imprisonment oregon a good brought down connected anyone who lands successful Chilean territory without morganatic authorization. Guo allegedly submitted a formation program that indicated his plans to alert implicit Punta Arenas, but not farther than that, according to Cristoso.

The authoritative said that successful summation to his alleged breaches of the aeronautical code, Guo violated "multiple nationalist and international" rules governing entree to Antarctica and the routes taken to get there. His unauthorized formation besides posed information risks for aerial postulation to the frozen continent, Cristoso added.

CBS News has reached retired to Guo for comment.

• Chile
• Antarctica