Veteran British explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes was airlifted to Cape Town yesterday morning.
Fiennes led a British expedition team that had hoped to cross Antarctica on foot.
The SA Agulhas transported the team to the icy continent in January, but Fiennes developed frostbite. According to the South African Maritime Safety Authority, Fiennes "reluctantly" decided to withdraw from the "Coldest Journey" expedition.
The authority's Samukele Ngubane said: "We have not been fielding media queries around this. Everything lies with him and how he wishes to proceed with publicity."
Fiennes is staying with family who live in Cape Town.
Ngubane said she assumed "first preference" for interviews would go to the BBC.
The explorer is expected to fly home on Sunday.
"[The authority] has met itslegal obligation, which is to ensure the safety of all property and life at sea that is endangered," said Ngubane.
Fiennes was supposed to lead a six-member team across 4000km of ice, enduring temperatures of up to -90C.
Their aim is to raise $10-million for Seeing is Believing, a global charity that fights avoidable blindness.
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