By Amanda Gillies
A self-proclaimed Viking has confirmed he's heading to Antarctica from New Zealand a year after his last attempt ended with the deaths of his three companions.
Jarle Andhoy reportedly wants to find the remains of the men and their yacht 'Berserk', but his journey is illegal and New Zealand authorities are now trying to find him.
It was supposed to be the adventure of a lifetime, emulating Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen's trek to the South Pole.
It ended with the deaths of Robert Skannes, Tom Bellika and Leonard Banks, victims of Mother Nature's fury.
They were in the yacht 'Berserk', waiting for Mr Andhoy and a friend to cross the ice shelf on quad bikes when a storm hit and sank the yacht.
Now Mr Andhoy's on a mission to find the remains of the men and the yacht.
"It's absolutely diabolical," says Charlene Banks, sister of victim Mr Banks. "He's going back there again in the same conditions as last time."
Ms Banks says it's all about publicity.
"He's definitely not well-prepared at all, he leaves everything to the last minute. He hasn't got any of authorities' approval. He believes he's above the law."
Mr Andhoy doesn't have the right permits for the trip, and New Zealand authorities are now searching for the 16m steel yacht Nilaya. They say it's possible he's changed its name to either 'Berserk' or 'Berserk 4'.
Aucklander Nick Atkinson sailed with Mr Andhoy in the 1990s and remembers him jumping off his yacht onto an iceberg wearing plastic Viking horns.
But he concedes Mr Andhoy is a brilliant yachtsman.
Mr Andhoy says people told him he was crazy, but he did it anyway. As for his state of mind, that's still being debated.
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