Briton 
dies after 
Greenland 
trek hit by 
blizzards

Philip Goodeve-Docker, 37, who had described the expedition as one of the “great polar challenges”, was crossing the Greenland ice cap with two friends when they became trapped in the sudden storm.

It took around 30 hours for emergency teams to be able to reach them and airlift them to safety but Mr Goodeve-Docker died before their arrival.

The events manager, from London, was on the unsupported crossing with experienced expedition leader Roan Hackney and Andy Norman, a former IT professional, who both remain in a “critical condition” in hospital, according to Mr Goodeve-Docker’s brother, Mark.

On his JustGiving page Mr Goodeve-Docker wrote of the dangers he would face travelling across one of the most “deadly landscapes in the world”.

He said the challenge across the world’s second largest ice cap from east to west would take 30 to 35 days.

“We will travel 550-600km across one of the most dazzling, beautiful, yet barren and deadly landscapes in the world, dragging all our own supplies (between 100-135kg) on individual pulks (sleds),” he said.

“This is one of the great polar challenges, through which we face such dangers as polar bears (not cute and cuddly), crevasses up to 500+ metres deep, polar winds, temperatures of 5C to -50C, plus the horror of 3 men with one tent & no washing.”

On a Facebook page set up specially for the expedition, a post said the team had began the trek on April 25.

It was followed by another message posted yesterday, which read: “The Expedition has been cancelled due to severe weather – Andy shall update on his return.”

On Mr Goodeve-Docker’s own Facebook page, his family said: “We wanted to let everyone know that on Sunday morning we had a phone call to confirm that Philip sadly died.

“To our son, brother and friend, we are so glad that you were on your adventure and expedition that you had wanted to do for so long. You will be unbelievably missed and your memory cherished. xx”

A spokeswoman for the Foreign Office said they were alerted to the situation on Sunday.

“We are aware that British nationals were in difficulty during an expedition in Greenland and have been rescued by the authorities,” she said.

“Sadly one of the men, Philip Goodeve-Docker, died.

“The two other British nationals are in hospital.

“We are providing consular assistance to their families at this time.”

Mr Goodeve-Docker had raised more than £5,000 for the Queen’s Nursing Institute (QNI) in carrying out the trip, which he dedicated to the memory of his grandfather who died two years ago.

This morning donations rose to more than £6,000 on his JustGiving page as people paid tribute to the adventurer.

One wrote: “In memory, you made a difference and lived large!!”

QNI chief executive Crystal Oldman said: “Our thoughts today are with Philip’s family.

“Philip died doing something that he had always dreamed of, undertaking a great challenge while helping others at the same time.

“Staff and trustees at the QNI are very shocked and saddened by this tragic loss but also immensely proud of him and his bravery.”