The second man to walk on the moon Buzz Aldrin, despite his age, is still active with his works. However, due to a sickness, the former astronaut was evacuated from the South Pole for immediate medical treatment.
Aldrin was rescued from the South Pole last Thursday, Dec. 1 after his health allegedly deteriorated from an ailment. Buzz Aldrin, the famous astronaut and the second man on the moon is 86 years-old.
The senior astronaut was airlifted from the Antarctic to New Zealand in order to receive proper medical care, according to reports. After his ordeal, Aldrin is currently in stable condition today although no specific details about his sickness are available to the media.
Aldrin was in the South Pole together with a BBC film crew when his condition worsened. But experts say it is common for visitors to experience sickness especially for new arrivals on the Antarctic.
"The South Pole is at 10,000 feet with very thin and dry air, which can cause severe acclimatization issues in even healthy people, or trigger symptoms of a pre-existing condition," Jonathan Weber of the U.S. Antarctic Program said in an interview with Daily News. "We've seen both happen here multiple times...His condition did deteriorate, which is what prompted the evacuation," Weber added.
BBC said Aldrin is visiting the Antarctica with a tourist group. Apparently, the former astronaut suffered from incurring fluids in his lungs but is very responsive to treatment. This was confirmed by his manager, Christina Korp who said in a Twitter post that Aldrin is already in 'good spirits' accompanied with the photo of Aldrin smiling though still in a hospital bed.
Aldrin was airlifted to the Christchurch in New Zealand from a U.S. research center located on the Antarctic coast, according to BBC. The former astronaut allegedly made a thumb sign upon arrival signifying that he is conscious and on its way to recovery.