The rogue Norwegian adventurers are testing their
yacht off New Zealand waters in a bid for an unsanctioned return to
Antarctica, their lawyer says.
Jarle Andhoy, 34, and 19-year-old
Samuel Massie are attempting another voyage to the Ross Sea in a bid to
find the wreckage of the Berserk II, which last year sank with the loss
of three lives.
Mr Andhoy's lawyer, Nils Jorgen Vordahl told a
press conference in Oslo on Friday (NZT), the pair were not trying to
reach the South Pole again, as had earlier been reported, but wanted to
find their old ship.
Mr Andhoy was currently testing his new
vessel - believed to be the former Auckland yacht Nilaya - in stormy
conditions off New Zealand to see if it was suitable for Antarctic
waters, Mr Vordahl said.
Mr Vordahl said the boat was Russian registered with an international crew.
They did not have an emergency locator beacon so they did not expose others to danger if they got into trouble.
Mr
Vordahl said Mr Andhoy understood the reaction to his illegal return to
Antarctica, from both officials and the families of the three dead men,
but he was keen to find answers about the fate of the Berserk II.
Customs New Zealand has been unsuccessfully searching for the Nilaya after it left Auckland on Monday.
There
are fears they are putting themselves and any rescuers in danger if
anything goes wrong as Antarctic conditions worsen at this time of year.
In
February last year Mr Andhoy and Mr Massie were attempting to reach the
South Pole on quad bikes - to mark the 100th anniversary of Roald
Amundsen's successful campaign. But their yacht, the Berserk II, is
thought to have sunk in McMurdo Sound, killing the three crew aboard.
NZN