Kristian Prestrud

Kristian Prestrud ( born October 22, 1881 in the municipality of Vang, Hedmark, † November 11, 1927 ) was a Norwegian naval officer and Arctic explorer, who took part in Roald Amundsen's Fram expedition 1910-1912.

Life

Prestrud was one of the officers of the expedition of Amundsen and was therefore inaugurated as one of the first members in the plan change - after Frederick Cook and Robert had Edwin Peary in 1909 claimed to have reached the North Pole, Amundsen gave his original plan to explore the North Polar Basin and way to travel to the pole, and instead made ​​his way to the South Pole.

During the winter in Framheim in Antarctica it was Prestruds task to do together with Hjalmar Johansen scientific observations. Prestrud was also part of the original group of eight men who made ​​an unsuccessful start to the South Pole made ​​on 8 September 1911. Although they had to turn back because of the extreme temperatures, the men decided to venture to the depot to 80 ° South to unload their goods, and as soon as possible drive back to Framheim. On the disorderly retreat, the group split up into several small sub- small groups, where the last two men arrived about six hours after the other. These two, Johansen and Prestrud, returned exhausted back into the camp, they could find in the dark and fog only by following the barking of dogs. Prestrud probably would have frozen to death if Johansen had not waited for him and helped him to create the way back.

The next morning, Amundsen was heavily criticized by Johansen, who since his expedition with Fridtjof Nansen had Arctic experience. Such a mutiny could not let Amundsen; as punishment, he reorganized the polar group, by lowering the number of participants at three. Johansen, Prestrud and Jørgen Stubberud 're tasked with researching the Edward VII Peninsula. To humiliate Johansen even further, given the inexperienced (but higher ranking ) Prestrud the command.