Charges have been dropped against Ethan Guo, the 19-year-old American pilot and social media influencer who has been detained on a remote Antarctic island since June. Guo was attempting to become the youngest person to fly solo to all seven continents to raise money for cancer research when he was arrested by Chilean authorities.
The charges stemmed from allegations that Guo provided false flight plan information after landing his Cessna 182Q aircraft on King George Island, an island claimed by Chile and home to several international research stations. Authorities initially accused him of landing without authorization and giving false information to ground control. A judge, however, dropped these charges on Monday.
Despite the charges being dropped, Guo was not given a clean slate. The court ordered him to leave Chilean territory, pay a $30,000 (£22,332) donation to a children’s cancer foundation, and banned him from re-entering Chile for three years.
Guo, who has spent the last six weeks at a military base on the island, expressed his eagerness to leave. “I remain in Antarctica awaiting approval for my departure flight,” he told the Associated Press (AP). “I sincerely hope they give it to me soon so that I and my plane can continue with my original mission.”
The young pilot gained attention last year for his ambitious journey, which has so far covered six continents. His goal is to raise $1 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, inspired by his cousin’s cancer diagnosis.
