Sick NH engineer successfully leaves South Pole

[October 17, 2011]  CONCORD, N.H. (AP) -- A sick New Hampshire engineer who had been working on the South Pole for a year says she slept for the whole plane ride to New Zealand.

Renee-Nicole Douceur (dee-SUHR') described the flight in an email to The Associated Press. She landed in Christchurch on Monday.

The 58-year-old Douceur, of Seabrook, N.H., worked as a manager for research station contractor Raytheon Polar Services Co. She asked for an emergency evacuation after having health problems in August. Officials rejected her request because of bad weather, saying that sending a rescue plane was too dangerous and that her condition wasn't life-threatening..

[Associated Press]

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