World-renowned cryonics expert Aaron Drake has undertaken the first case of cryopreservation of a whole body in Jinan, China.
Drake explains that cryonics is the low-temperature preservation of people who cannot be sustained by contemporary medicine, with the hope that resuscitation and restoration to full health may be possible in the future, e.g. in cancer treatment.
The applicant for cryopreservation is a 49-year old female lung cancer patient by the name of Jen, and the procedures were undertaken by a Shandong scientific institute in collaboration with the local university hospital, taking almost 60 hours to complete. Her husband Gui expressed the wish that she might be resuscitated and restored to health some day.
Within two minutes of Jen being declared legally dead, the medical team started injecting cyroprotectants to prevent ice formation during cryopreservation. They have also injected anti-oxidant drugs. The body was then transferred by ambulance to the scientific research institute for low-temperature preservation. After about close to 60 hours, the body temperature was lowered to -190C.
Drake has undertaken up to more than 70 cases of cryonics procedures in the last 7 years. In May, 2015, he and his team were responsible for the cryopreservation of the brain of a Chongqing writer – the first such case in China.
Gui explained that he and his wife had reached an agreement on cryonics before she passed away. Jen had made enormous contributions to the community, and would like to offer her body for scientific research. Gui is hopeful that with rapid advances in medicine, the experts will, one day, develop effective cure for lung cancer and other tumors.
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian rescuers recovered a second body Sunday in the ongoing search for a Spanish soccer coach and two of his children who went missing after a tour boat sank during their Christmas holiday.
The rescue team retrieved the body floating near Padar island, about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from the site of the sinking, said Fathur Rahman, the Maumere Search and Rescue Office chief.
The newly recovered body remains unidentified by authorities, but is believed to be that of a member of the family who was on a holiday in Indonesia’s Komodo National Park area. Rahman said the body was transported to a hospital in Labuan Bajo, a gateway town to the park in eastern Indonesia, for identification.
The family holiday in the park area turned tragic for Valencia CF Women’s B coach Fernando Martín, 44, when the boat carrying him, his wife, their four children, four crew members and a local guide, sank on the evening of Dec. 26 after suffering engine failure.
Martín’s wife and one child, along with the four crew members and the guide, were rescued in the hours following the incident. But Martin, his two sons and another daughter, aged 9, 10 and 12, were unaccounted for.
Rescuers found the first victim, the 12-year-old Spanish girl, three days later floating near the northern waters of Serai island, about 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) from the site of the sinking. Indonesian authorities confirmed with Martin's wife and through medical and forensic identification that the girl was one of the missing children.
Rahman said the Spanish government and families of the victims have been deeply involved. Spain’s ambassador formally requested continued reinforcement of the search in a Dec. 31 letter. Under Indonesian law, search operations typically last seven days, but can be extended if there are signs or chances of finding victims.
“We are determined to find all the victims,” said Rahman, following a review by the joint SAR team that extended operations to Jan. 4. “We remain optimistic that the hard work of all SAR elements will yield results during this extended operation.”
The search operation, on its tenth day Sunday, continued for the remaining family members. Efforts have been reinforced with more than 160 personnel, supported by police and the navy, who were combing four sectors in inflatable boats, navy ships and rescue vessels equipped with sonar equipment and underwater navigation gear across the Komodo National Park waters. Divers were also deployed.
Komodo National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage site famous for its rugged landscapes, pristine beaches and an endangered lizard, the Komodo dragon. The park attracts thousands of international visitors for diving, trekking and wildlife tours.
Indonesia is an archipelago with more than 17,000 islands, where boats are a common form of transportation. With lax safety standards and problems with overcrowding, accidents occur frequently.
In this photo released by the Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS) on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, rescuers recover a body believed to be one of the victims of a tourist boat that sank on Dec. 26, in the waters near Padar Island in Komodo National Park, Indonesia. (BASARNAS via AP)
In this photo released by the Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS) on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, rescuers recover a body believed to be one of the victims of a tourist boat that sank on Dec. 26, in the waters near Padar Island in Komodo National Park, Indonesia. (BASARNAS via AP)
