Patrick Keohane facts for kids
Patrick Keohane (born June 2, 1879 – died August 31, 1950) was a brave Irish explorer. He was part of Captain Robert Falcon Scott's famous journey to Antarctica. This trip was called the Terra Nova expedition and happened between 1910 and 1913.
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Patrick Keohane was born in 1879 in Courtmacsherry, a small town in County Cork, Ireland. When he was older, he joined the Royal Navy, which is the United Kingdom's navy. He worked hard and became a petty officer. This rank is like a supervisor for other sailors. He even served on a ship called HMS Talbot with a man named Teddy Evans.
The Antarctic Adventure
When Patrick was 30 years old, Teddy Evans chose him for an exciting journey. This was the Terra Nova expedition to Antarctica, a very cold continent at the bottom of the world. Patrick joined the expedition ship, Terra Nova, from another ship called HMS Repulse.
Journey to the South Pole
On the expedition's main trip south, Patrick had an important job. He led a pony that carried supplies to the bottom of the Beardmore Glacier. After that, he became part of a group of 12 men who pulled their sleds themselves. This was called "manhauling," and it was very hard work. They were trying to reach the South Pole.
Patrick was in the first support group. This group helped carry supplies for a while, then turned back. Other members of his group were Edward L. Atkinson, Charles S. Wright, and Apsley Cherry-Garrard. They turned back on December 22, 1911, when they were very far south.
A Dangerous Return
The journey back was full of dangers. Patrick Keohane had a very scary experience. In just 25 minutes, he fell into deep cracks in the ice, called crevasses, eight times! Each time, his safety harness stopped him from falling all the way down. Apsley Cherry-Garrard said that Patrick looked "a bit dazed" after this. Luckily, they made it back safely to Hut Point on January 26, 1912.
Searching for Scott's Party
The expedition continued, and on March 27, 1912, Patrick Keohane joined a search party. With Edward Atkinson, he tried to find Captain Scott and his group. They wanted to bring them back to their base at Cape Evans. They started from Hut Point but could only go about 8 miles south of Corner Camp. They left a week's worth of food there and returned to Cape Evans on April 1.
Later that year, on October 29, Patrick was part of another search party. They had spent the cold winter on the continent. On November 12, they made a sad discovery. They found the frozen bodies of Captain Scott, Edward Adrian Wilson, and Henry Robertson Bowers. They were about eleven miles south of a supply depot.
Life After Antarctica
The Terra Nova ship left Cape Evans for the last time on January 22, 1913. The ship arrived back in Wales on June 14. After his amazing adventure, Patrick Keohane joined the Coast Guard service. He worked as a district officer for the coastguards on the Isle of Man.
Later in his life, he rejoined the Royal Navy. He even served during World War II. Patrick Keohane passed away in Plymouth in 1950. He was 71 years old.
