Rodney Marks (astrophysicist)

Rodney David Marks (13 March 1968 – 12 May 2000) was an Australian astrophysicist who died from methanol poisoning while working in Antarctica.

Marks was born in Geelong, Australia and received his education from the University of Melbourne, later obtaining a PhD from the University of New South Wales.

Marks had wintered over at the South Pole station in 1997–1998, before being employed at the South Pole with the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, working on the Antarctic Submillimeter Telescope and Remote Observatory, a research project for the University of Chicago at the Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station. He was engaged to Sonja Wolter, who was overwintering as a maintenance specialist at the base in order to be with him. Amundsen–Scott Pole Station is run by the National Science Foundation, a United States government agency, although much work is subcontracted to Raytheon’s Polar Services.

On 11 May 2000 Rodney Marks became unwell while walking between the remote observatory and the base. He became increasingly sick over a 36-hour period, three times returning increasingly distressed to the station's doctor. Advice was sought by satellite, but Marks died on 12 May 2000, age 32 with his condition undiagnosed. The whereabouts of the station doctor, Robert Thompson, have been unknown since sometime after 2006.

The National Science Foundation issued a statement saying that Rodney Marks had "apparently died of natural causes, but the specific cause of death ha[d] yet to be determined". The exact cause of Marks' death could not be determined until his body was removed from Amundsen–Scott Station and flown off the continent for autopsy. The case received media attention as the "first South Pole murder", as suicide was considered the least likely cause of his death. He was buried in Bellbrae Cemetery, Mount Duneed, Victoria, Australia.

...
Wikipedia