Thurston Island PBM Mariner Survivors

In December 1946, a U.S. Navy PBM Mariner flying boat from Operation Highjump crashed in poor weather on Thurston Island, Antarctica, killing three men and leaving six survivors stranded on the ice. The surviving crew huddled in and around the wreckage in subzero temperatures, nursed injuries like broken bones and frostbite, and lived on limited rations from the plane’s emergency supplies.

They used the aircraft radio and signal flares to try to contact search planes while fierce winds and blowing snow repeatedly hampered rescue efforts. After 13 days on the ice, Navy aircraft finally spotted their signals, dropped additional supplies, and guided a ground rescue party to reach the crash site and bring all six survivors out alive.

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