A French woman explorer on a solo trek to the North Pole is missing five days after setting off from northern Siberia in a small kayak.
Ms Dominick Arduin, who lost some toes in a failed attempt on the pole last year, set out Friday in her kayak at the start of a two-month expedition, braving the open waters of the Arctic Ocean in temperatures of minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
A helicopter search for Ms Arduin (43) was called off today due to darkness and will resume Wednesday.
"A storm was expected in the area, but it doesn't look to strike until after dark," a spokesperson for the expedition said.
Ms Arduin, who was born in France but has lived in Finland's Lapland for 15 years, says on her website she wants to be the first solo woman to reach the geographic pole.