Buzz Aldrin Evacuated After Becoming ill

The adventurer and former astronaut, Buzz Aldrin was evacuated from the South Pole after he became ill while on vacation with a tourism group. Aldrin was the second person to walk on the moon and was taken to Christchurch, NZ, when he got ill.

According to The National Science Foundation, “humanitarian medical evacuation” was needed for an ailing visitor from Antarctica. Mr. Aldrin, 86, was flown from the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station right to McMurdo Station, which is the main research facility in Antarctica, before being taken to hospital in New Zealand.

The tourism operator White Desert stated that Aldrin was recovering in the hospital. He had fluid in his lungs but responded to the antibiotics and will be held for observation. He was in good spirits and his condition was “stable”.

Mr. Aldrin had been tweeting about his trip to Antarctica for a long time. He even posted a group photo before the trip with the caption, “Buzz’s Polar Penguins countdown to liftoff has commenced.”

Buzz Aldrin was born Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr., and was named after his father, Edwin Eugene Aldrin Sr. He obtained his nickname “Buzz” in childhood from his youngest sister, as she mispronounced the word “brother” as “buzzer,” which was later shortened to “buzz.” Aldrin changed his name legally to Buzz in 1988.

The masculine name Buzz is a diminutive that has an unknown origin, and is given to men for a variety of reasons. For example, the American mobster Frank Carrone got his nickname “Buzz,” from his psychotic and violent behavior.