American teen is STILL trapped in Antarctica five weeks after 'illegal' charity flight to frozen continent
Ethan Guo, a 20-year-old influencer was attempting to become the youngest person to fly solo to all seven continents, when he landed at a remote Chilean military base on Antarctic territory in June. He has been stuck on at the base ever since.
Police say Guo lied to aviation officials by filing false flight plan information that indicated he would only fly over Punta Arenas in southern Chile.
Instead, he pushed further south in his single-engine Cessna 182Q and landed in Chilean Antarctic territory without authorization.
Chilean prosecutors charged Guo on June 29 with providing false information to ground control and landing illegally.
On Monday a judge agreed to drop the charges under a deal between prosecutors and Guo's lawyers.
The condition is that he is required to donate $30,000 to a children's cancer charity within 30 days, leave Chile as soon as possible and stay out of the country for three years.
Guo told the Associated Press he is 'relieved by the outcome' in a text message.
Police say Guo lied to aviation officials by filing false flight plan information that indicated he would only fly over Punta Arenas in southern Chile
'I remain in Antarctica awaiting approval for my departure flight,' Guo told the outlet.
'I sincerely hope they give it to me soon so that I and my plane can continue with my original mission.'
Daily Mail reached out to Guo for comment.
For the past six weeks Guo has been staying at a military base due to the harsh winter weather, which as has grounded regular flights out of the area.
Guo's own plane has been deemed unfit to fly by Chilean officials.
Prosecutor Cristián Crisosto said the Cessna, a light aircraft better suited to regional trips, 'does not have the capabilities to make a flight.'
Guo started his journey in Memphis, Tennessee. Before leaving for Antarctica he had already travelled to six out of the seven continents: North America, South America Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia.
In May he admitted to feeling afraid during his journey but said that he remained positive.
'To be honest, many times I am scared,' Guo told KTVU. 'It's not a guarantee that I'll be able to complete this journey and on many fronts there are risks.
'But I think if you have something that you believe in and you find something that you believe is worth fighting for, I think even with the risk you should take it on.'
'What I say to people is: Aim as big as you can, break it down to digestible steps.
'Work towards it step by step,' he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
21 hours ago
- The Independent
Teen influencer detained for a month after landing in Antartica makes deal so he can leave continent
An American teen influencer whose ambitious solo flight around the world ground to a halt two months ago when he landed in Antarctica has struck a deal with Chilean authorities so he can finally leave the continent, according to reports. Ethan Guo, 19, has been trapped for almost two months after Chilean officials accused him on violating the nation's airspace and "multiple national and international" laws during the June leg of his trip, according to CBS News. Since 2024, Guo, he has travelled to six out of the seven continents: North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia – stopping at hospitals along the way to meet with child cancer patients, and discuss raising awareness with experts and medical professionals. He documents his journey on social media while raising funds for cancer research. It was during a flight out of Chile that Guo ran into trouble. Chile controls the airspace at and around the tip of South America and maintains territorial claims and a base in Antarctica. Chilean officials accused Guo of submitting a false flight plan before he left from Carlos Ibáñez del Campo Airport in Punta Arenas. They claim that Guo deviated from his pre-approved flight plan - which would have taken him to Ushuaia, Argentina - and traveled to Antarctica instead. On Monday, a judge ruled that Guo can leave King George Island, which is roughly 75 miles off Antartica, if he donates $30,000 to a children's cancer foundation within 30. He has also been banned from reentering Chilean territories for three years. Guo agreed to the terms and told the Associated Press that he was "relieved by the outcome." "I remain in Antarctica awaiting approval for my departure flight," Guo told the AP. "I sincerely hope they give it to me soon so that I and my plane can continue with my original mission." He told the New York Times that his time at the base has been quiet and lonely, and that he's passed the time by reading science fiction books. 'It's very hard and it's really isolating and lonely,' he said in video call with the Times. 'That means, like solitude — like, you know, confined solitude.' Guo told the Times that he only landed at the Chilean base because ice was forming on his plane, causing him to lose control. The teen added that he lost contact with local air traffic controllers and he was losing speed. Guo said that he needed to land, and the Antarctic base was the closest safe haven. 'I was like, 'I don't care what's going to happen,'' Guo told the paper. 'Like, this is an emergency. I need to get down.' He said he's unsure of exactly when he'll fly back to continental Chile, or how he'll get off King George Island, where he's currently staying. Chile's aviation authority said the young pilot could leave as soon as he pays for transportation off the island. He's been barred from flying his own plane off the island because, according to Chilean authorities, his on-board life rafts and life vests are expired and because his plane does not have a functioning anti-icing system. Officials also noted that "there is no certainty that the remaining fuel on the aircraft will be enough to reach the city of Punta Arenas," which is about a six hour flight from the base where Guo is being detained. Guo told the Times he does not want to leave his Cessna behind and believes it's in good enough condition to make the flight. Guo not forced to stay on the island at any point, but the brutal winter conditions in that part of the southern hemisphere means that flying wasn't an option, AP repots.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
Sobbing couple blame ChatGPT for missing their flight to Puerto Rico after they asked it about visa requirements… and arrived with the wrong paperwork
A young influencer couple said they were barred from boarding their flight to Puerto Rico after ChatGPT gave them the wrong visa information to enter the Caribbean Island. In a video shared by the Spanish tourists on social media, TikToker Mery Caldass appears in tears as she walks through the airport after not being allowed to travel. As partner Alejandro Cid comforts her, Caldass tells the camera: 'Look, I always do a lot of research, but I asked ChatGPT and they said no,' referring to whether they needed a visa to enter the country. 'I don't trust that son of a b***h anymore', she adds. But in between her tears, the influencer jokes that the AI tool gave them the wrong information as an act of revenge after she insulted it. 'I don't trust that one anymore because sometimes I insult him, I call him a b*****d, you're useless, but inform me his revenge'. The video has racked up 6.1 million views on TikTok and several users have poked fun at the couple for asking ChatGPT for information instead of checking official travel advice. 'Well, natural selection I guess. If you are going to take a transoceanic trip and you put all your advice in ChatGPT, little has happened to you,' one user commented. 'But who trusts ChatGPT for those types of situations?,' another said. Others came to ChatGPT's defence, claiming the AI tool's answer was not incorrect and that instead the couple had asked it the wrong question about the necessary documents to enter Puerto Rico. Spanish tourists do not need a visa to enter the Caribbean island, however holidaymakers must process an Electronic Travel Authorization (ESTA) online. The couple's ordeal with ChatGPT comes a day after a man was left fighting for his sanity after replacing table salt with a chemical more commonly used to clean swimming pools after following AI advice. The 60-year-old American spent three weeks in hospital suffering from hallucinations, paranoia and severe anxiety after taking dietary tips from ChatGPT. Doctors revealed in a US medical journal that the man had developed bromism - a condition virtually wiped out since the 20th century - after he embarked on a 'personal experiment' to cut salt from his diet. Instead of using everyday sodium chloride, the man swapped it for sodium bromide, a toxic compound once sold in sedative pills but now mostly found in pool-cleaning products. Symptoms of bromism include psychosis, delusions, skin eruptions and nausea - and in the 19th century it was linked to up to eight per cent of psychiatric hospital admissions. The bizarre case took a disturbing turn when the man turned up at an emergency department insisting his neighbour was trying to poison him. He had no previous history of mental illness. Intrigued and alarmed, doctors tested ChatGPT themselves. The bot, they said, still recommended sodium bromide as a salt alternative, with no mention of any health risk.
The Independent
a day ago
- The Independent
Charges dropped against teen pilot on three conditions
American pilot and influencer Ethan Guo was charged by Chilean authorities for submitting a false flight plan and landing without authorisation in Antarctica. A judge dropped the charges as part of an agreement requiring Guo to donate $30,000 to a children's cancer foundation, leave Chile as soon as conditions allow, with a three-year re-entry ban. Guo maintains his innocence, stating he received explicit permission to land at the Teniente Marsh base due to instrument failures and severe icing conditions. Chilean prosecutors claim Guo provided false information, risking global air traffic safety, and believe he was determined to reach Antarctica regardless of the risks. Guo has been stranded at a Chilean Air Force base in Antarctica for six weeks due to winter conditions, and the future of his plane remains uncertain.
