UKC/UKH Contributor Andy Ruck in Polar Bear Attack

© Rourke

UKC/UKH Contributor and user Andy Ruck has been named as one of the injured members of a party of British young people involved in a polar bear attack on the Arctic island of Svalbard.

Plummet - The Author  © UKC Articles

In the incident near the Von Postbreen glacier, which has been widely reported today, four people were injured and one youngster killed. He has been named as 17-year-old Horatio Chapple. Andy was one of two trip leaders injured in the attack. The victims were members of a 12-strong party, part of a larger group organised by the British Schools Exploring Society (BSES) that was scheduled to spend over a month on Svalbard.

Andy and his three fellow injured team members, trip leader Michael Reid and trip members Patrick Flinders and Scott Smith, were airlifted to hospital once the alarm had been raised. They are said to be in a stable condition.

For more information see the BBC website.

Andy, who goes by the username Plummet, has written two articles for UKC and UKH, A Shot of Rum and A Golden Week on The Ben. He is also the author of a travel book Asi Es la Vida.

Ollsentopp on Svalbard  © Rourke
Ollsentopp on Svalbard
© Rourke, Jul 2008


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Our best wishes to everyone involved from all at UKC/UKH.
5 Aug, 2011
Just heard that Andy's injuries are not life threatening. Thoughts go to everyone envolved.
5 Aug, 2011
Sad story. My condolences to Horatio's family and best wishes to Andy and the others who where injured. It was also a shame that the Polar bear had to be killed.
5 Aug, 2011
Oh god, my stomach just dropped when I read this, Andy is a friend of mine. So glad to hear he is OK. My deepest condolences to the family of the poor young lad and everyone else involved in this tragedy.
5 Aug, 2011
Nobody here gonna shoot you down; its a fair point. Perhaps the time has come for folk not to take their holidays in such environments. Yes, very tragic for those involved, but tragic too in a wider sense, and we should not ignore the wider issue. TC
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