Henry Worsley, a former British army officer and an avid explorer, died in a hospital in Punta Arenas, Chile on Sunday. The explorer was forced to stop his expedition - an attempt to cross the Antarctic unaided - 71 days into his journey. He was only 30 miles from his goal, according to The Guardian.
After finding himself unable to move from his tent for two days, the exhausted and dehydrated explorer finally called for help. Though he was quickly airlifted to a hospital, doctors found that he had a severe case of bacterial peritonitis.
His family said on Monday that the former serviceman, who undertook the expedition to raise funds for wounded troops, died following complete organ failure, reports The Sydney Morning Herald.
During the 71 days he spent trying to cross the Antarctic, Worsley was able to cover almost 901 miles, pulling his supplies on a sled. He was attempting to complete the unfinished expedition of his hero, Ernest Shackleton, more than a century ago.
Prince William, a friend of the explorer and a patron of the Shackleton Solo Expedition, has stated that he and his brother were extremely saddened by the news, according to CNN.
"He was a man who showed great courage and determination. We are incredibly proud to be associated with him. Even after retiring from the Army, Henry continued to show selfless commitment to his fellow servicemen and women, by undertaking this extraordinary Shackleton solo expedition on their behalf," the prince said.
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