Charges against Ethan Guo, a 19-year-old American influencer and pilot, who has been stuck on King George Island in Antarctica since June, have been officially dropped. Guo faced accusations of illegally landing his Cessna 182Q on Chilean territory while on a solo journey to visit all seven continents to raise funds for cancer research, as per local authorities. They claimed he provided misleading flight plan details which led to his detention and an ensuing investigation.
A judge ruled that Guo must leave the area, contribute a $30,000 (£22,332) donation to a children’s cancer foundation, and is prohibited from returning to Chile for three years. Guo's attempt to become the youngest person to fly solo to all continents gained media attention, especially as he has been raising funds for childhood cancer research following his cousin's diagnosis.
In June, Guo flew from Punta Arenas, near southern Chile, to King George Island, which is claimed by Chile and characterized by numerous international research stations. Following his landing, he was taken into custody as authorities accused him of submitting a flight plan that only detailed a flight over Punta Arenas.
Originally charged with providing false information to ground control and unauthorized landing, these charges were dropped by the judge on Monday. Speaking to the Associated Press (AP), Guo expressed his relief and eagerness to receive approval for his flight home, stating his hopes to continue his original mission.
For the last six weeks, he has been at a military facility on the island. Although he has been permitted to travel to other regions of Chile, frigid weather has hindered his departure from the island. Guo is determined to accomplish the unique feat of completing solo flights across all seven continents and has dedicated over 140 days in-flight during his journey. His goal is to raise $1 million for cancer research at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.
