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                                                      Perilous Episode at the Polar Ice-cap
                                                                                           by Esther Teow


            On the first Saturday in January year 2002 at approximately 12.15p.m., I arrived at the coast of Baffin Bay in the polar ice-cap of the Arctic Circle with a troop of special forces the Marines deployed by the government to aid in a rescue operation. It had been announced that a group of less than ten survivors of a violent passenger airplane crash was left to fend for themselves in the cruellest of cold blizzard weather conditions with the help of a few scientist stationed there in a research centre. The group of survivors one of them actress, Marie LeGarde, managed to reach the coastal line after unending days of travelling on a worn-out tractor. Their feat was deemed great as they had to survive together knowing among them there were two ruthless murderers.

            I joined the scene at the peak of this tragic happening. Blending in with the Marines, I witnessed a tensed situation involving a man trying his best to persuade an unsettled looking man that tells at first glance he was the bad guy. He threatened to shoot an injured man seen lying close to them with the gun in his hand. The Marines stepped up their pace towards them hoping to trap the murderer unaware but suddenly he noticed that he was in danger and fired a bullet at the negotiating man and quickly grabbed a lady hostage with him into a tractor. The man, a scientist named Dr. Mason was seen pursuing the speeding tractor that eventually lost control, skidded and crashed into some big rocks.

           The next thing we saw was Smallwood, murderer while holding onto Margaret, the an air stewardess, slipped and fell, and disappeared down a crevasse. Just then two planes flying low across the glacier, shoot red fire towards a group of men suspected to be cohorts of the murderer and they fled for shelter. From a few metres far, Dr. Mason was definitely thinking a plan to save the lady. He lifted the rope over his neck and threw it down into the crevasse. Just so quickly, he made an unexpected move in attempt to cease control over the murderer. There was a long struggle in the pit I found out later as Dr. Mason had fell on top of him and contended with all his might to weaken him. I felt movements in the ground and vibrations. The ice was moving and the crevasse looked to be closing. Jackstraw, another scientist had successfully pulled Margaret up into safety as well as Dr. Mason moments later who looked very worn out.

          So, Smalwood was trapped in the crevasse begging to for a rope. Instead Dr. Mason thought it would only do justice to those failed to make it out alive and perished to leave the vicious murderer to death. Jackstraw threw a coil of rope down and stepped back. The mouth of the crevasse closed swallowing the murderer to his end. It was finally over, the struggle for survival. The survivors were treated and given plenty of rest. The heroic act of the scientist in the polar ice-cap were lauded and given due recognition for their courage and critical thinking that made their survival possible.