Eric Osborn, while a tradesman at Davis in 1990, rescued a colleague who had fallen through sea ice while on a scientific field trip. Both men had fallen through unexpectedly thin sea ice, but after prolonged immersion in the sub-zero water, Eric was able to extricate himself and proceed over the same thin ice to rescue his friend. He remained calm and helped his colleague to a remote field hut, a course of action which enabled the two men to survive.
As station carpenter in wintering expeditions at Casey and Davis, Eric was not only proficient and enthusiastic in his duties, but made significant contributions to scientific field trips.