American social media influencer Ethan Guo has been released from a Chilean military base in Antarctica after spending two months in detention following an unauthorized landing.
The Tennessee native, who was 19 when the journey began, was freed on Saturday and transported to mainland Chile aboard a Navy vessel where he faces $30,000 in penalties and a three-year ban from Chilean territory.
Newsweek has reached out to Guo via email on Saturday for comment.
Who Is Ethan Guo?
The now 20-year-old is an Asian American pilot who began his aviation journey at age 13 and earned his private pilot license at 17.
With over 700 flight hours and instrument flight rating certification, he has flown to all 48 contiguous U.S. states and crossed the Atlantic Ocean three times.
His ambitious seven-continent solo flight mission was inspired by his cousin’s 2021 cancer diagnosis. Through his “Flight Against Cancer” initiative, Guo aimed to raise $1 million for cancer research through St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital while attempting to set a world record as the youngest person to complete such a journey.
According to his official website, Guo’s motivation stems from the stark disparity in childhood cancer survival rates globally. While more than 80 percent of children with cancer survive in the U.S., less than 20 percent survive in many developing countries.
What To Know
The social media influencer, who has over 1.4 million followers on Instagram and over 6.6 million likes on TikTok, had been attempting to become the youngest person to fly solo to all seven continents as part of a cancer research fundraising mission when he landed his single-engine Cessna 182Q at Chile’s Antarctic territory on June 28.
Chilean authorities detained Guo immediately, claiming he provided false flight plan data and violated his authorized flight path.
The influencer was originally authorized only to fly over Punta Arenas in southern Chile. However, prosecutors allege he continued south toward Antarctica, landing without proper permission.
The young pilot spent the harsh Antarctic winter at the military base with limited communications and temperatures dropping well below freezing.
What People Are Saying
Ethan Guo told the Associated Press after his release: “The Chilean people have been incredibly hospitable, they’ve been fantastic people. They’ve taken care of me. They’ve taught me Spanish, and they’ve treated me like family.”
Guo’s lawyer Jaime Barrientos told the AP: “To his surprise, when he was about to take off back to Punta Arenas he was arrested, in a process that from my perspective was a total exaggeration. [Guo] did receive authorization from Chilean authorities” and landed due to poor weather conditions.
What Happens Next?
His release came with strict conditions by a Chilean judge. He must donate the tens of thousands of dollars raised for his mission to a childhood cancer foundation within 30 days and leave Chile immediately.
Reporting from the Associated Press contributed to this article.
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