The Register® — Biting the hand that feeds IT

Antarctic Xmas punch-up airlift cost £45k

Expensive Yule fisticuffs

Free whitepaper – Systems management simplified

The bill for airlifting two belligerents from the US-run Amundsen-Scott South Pole station which on Xmas Day hosted some decidedly unseasonal fisticuffs is "at least" £45k, according to the Telegraph.

One of the men allegedly suffered a broken jaw during the punch-up, and was subsequently whisked to Christchurch Hospital in New Zealand. The second man was summarily returned to the US. Dr Karl Erb, head of the US Antarctic programme, elaborated: "The assailant has been removed from Antarctica and his contract terminated by his employer. Such behaviour has no place whatsoever in the US Antarctic programme."

The cause of the altercation between the two employees of Raytheon Polar Services is now thought to be a woman, although it may also have been exacerbated by "alcohol and cabin fever", the Telegraph notes. ®

Free whitepaper – Dell PowerEdge servers product guide

Don’t Miss

DustbinDirty, dirty PCs: The X-rated picture guide

Ventblockers Horror beyond human imagination

SC09Top 500 supers - rise of the Linux quad-cores

SC09 Jaguar munches Roadrunner

Ubuntu teaser Early adopters bloodied by Ubuntu's Karmic Koala

Smooth Windows upgrade it ain't

Sign up, sign up for The Register IT security newsletter

Narrowcasting for the email classes