Yellow Submarine

I wrote this when I was there, back in 1992 when I was at McMurdo Station in Antarctica.

Many of our vehicles have acquired nicknames that have interesting stories.  Maybe you will enjoy this one.

Four years ago, during winter, one of the Caterpillars was driven off of the ice pier onto the newly frozen sea ice.  Of course, it plunged through and fell to the bottom with the driver.  She couldn’t open the door to escape until the cab filled with water.  Her next problem was finding the hole in the ice through which she had just fallen.  She survived and was ok, thank goodness, because there is no leaving here in winter.  Medical problems wait until spring.

The summer crew raised the Cat and rebuilt it.  With its new paint job of Cat Yellow, it became the “Yellow Submarine.”  The artistic sculptures mounted on each side proudly boast of its exploits.

Updated 30 March 2023