Three people needing medical care were evacuated from an American research base in Antarctica , New Zealand's air force says, during a perilous rescue operation carried out in freezing temperatures and 24-hour darkness. U.S. officials called the mission "nothing short of heroic."

One person requiring urgent medical care and two others needing medical assistance were flown out of McMurdo Station in a mission that took nearly 20 hours, the Royal New Zealand Air Force said in a statement on Wednesday. The U.S. National Science Foundation, which operates the station, sent out the call for help because there were insufficient medical resources at the base.

A crew on a Royal New Zealand Air Force C-130J Hercules braved the harsh conditions and successfully carried out the mid-winter medic

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