Luis Pardo
Luis Alberto Pardo Villalón ( born September 20, 1882 in Santiago de Chile, † February 21, 1935 ibid ) was captain of the steamboat Yelcho, with the 22 crew members of the Antarctic expedition of Ernest Henry Shackleton, the Endurance on August 30, 1916 by Elephant Iceland were rescued. In Chile it is still called " Piloto Pardo " and revered as a national hero.
Biographical data
Captain Pardo took effect in July 1900 in the Chilean Naval Academy and was established in June 1906 as Captain member of the Chilean Navy. In September 1910 he was appointed captain of the steamboat Yelcho and transferred to the naval base in Puerto Williams.
Rescue the expedition of the Endurance
On the failed Antarctic expedition of Sir Ernest Shackleton, the expedition ship Endurance was trapped in January 1915 in Wedellmeer by pack ice. On October 27, 1915, the Endurance sank, because it had been badly damaged by the pressure of the ice. The crew escaped to Elephant Iceland. Shackleton and five other expedition members were trying to get help with open lifeboats. After reaching South Georgia after more than 800 nautical miles, Shackleton organized the rescue of the remaining 22 crew members. Three rescue attempts failed. Eventually Shackleton to convince the Chilean government, let him have the 36.5 -meter-long steamship Yelcho under the command of Captain Pardo. Shackleton aboard put the Yelcho on August 25, 1916 in Punta Arenas from. On August 30, they found the abandoned crew members of the Endurance on Elephant Iceland. On 3 September 1916, the Yelcho put to the applause of the population of Punta Arenas and the dignitaries of the Chilean navy in the port of Punta Arenas.
After the bailout
Captain Pardo was promoted after this rescue operation and received the rank of captain first class. Additional civilian and military honors followed. In 1919 he retired from active military service. Later he was Chilean consul in Liverpool. In 1935 he died at the age of 54 years.
Pardo Ridge, the highest point on Elephant Iceland is named after him, and a cape on the north side of the island was named Yelcho. The bow of the Yelcho is part of a monument in Puerto Williams, a Chilean naval base in the Beagle Channel.
- Exploration of Antarctica
- Chilean
- Born in 1882
- Died in 1935
- Man