'My journey is at an end. I've run out of time and endurance': The last poignant diary entry and selfie of British explorer who died 30 miles short of becoming the first man to cross Antarctica alone

Gaunt, exhausted and battling the infection that would eventually claim his life, Henry Worsley took one last picture inside his tent, a tiny refuge from the most extreme environment on earth.

The 55-year-old British explorer had lost 50lb during his mission to become the first adventurer to cross Antarctica unassisted, and appeared at the end of his strength.

But a poignant final message - recorded for his online journal - reflected both despair and the belief that he would come to terms with stopping 30 miles short of the finish line.

'My journey is at an end,’ he said. 'I've run out of time, physical endurance, and simple sheer ability to slide one ski in front of the other to travel the distance required to reach my goal.

'My summit was just out of reach. I've spent 70 days on my own in a place I love. I'll lick my wounds, they will heal over time, and I'll come to terms with the disappointment.'

Mr Worsley, a former Army officer from London, died yesterday after succumbing to infection 71 days into his 950 mile charity trek.

The father-of-two had been airlifted to a Chile hospital on Friday after being unable to move from his tent for two days. Doctors diagnosed him with bacterial peritonitis and were unable to stop the infection spreading through his body.

The final diary entry of Henry Worsley revealed he was unable to continue on his trek despite being just 30miles from the finish line. Pictured is Mr Worsley inside his tent in the final selfie he took on the expedition

Rescued: Having spent two days trapped in his tent, unable to move after 70 days in the Antarctic, Mr Worsley was picked up by a support plane on Friday. His family today announced his death

Today his wife Joanna, 56, said in a statement: 'It is with heartbroken sadness I let you know that my husband, Henry Worsley, has died following complete organ failure; despite all efforts of ALE and medical staff at the Clinica Magallanes in Punta Arenas, Chile.

'Henry achieved his Shackleton Solo goals: of raising over £100,000 for the Endeavour Fund, to help his wounded colleagues, and so nearly completing the first unsupported crossing of the Antarctic landmass.

'A crossing made, under exceptionally difficult weather conditions, to mark the 100th anniversary of Sir Ernest Shackleton's Endurance expedition - his lifelong hero.

'On behalf of myself and family, I wish to thank the many hundreds of you who have shown unfailing support to Henry throughout his courageous final challenge and great generosity to the Endeavour Fund. Donations now total over £106,773.' 

Mr Worsley and his wife have two children Alicia, 19, and Max, 21. 

The trek was raising money for the Endeavour Fund, a charity managed by the Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry.

Worthwhile: The married father-of-two (pictured) raised more than £100,000 for injured soldiers and even had Prince William pay tribute to his efforts

The final tweet by Mr Worsley showed his gear packed on to a sled and stuck in a blizzard engulfing the area

The married father-of-two attempted the expedition to mark the 100th anniversary of the failed Sir Ernest Shackleton journey

William said in a statement: 'Harry and I are very sad to hear of the loss of Henry Worsley. He was a man who showed great courage and determination and we are incredibly proud to be associated with him.

'Even after retiring from the Army, Henry continued to show selfless commitment to his fellow servicemen and women, by undertaking this extraordinary Shackleton solo expedition on their behalf.

'We have lost a friend, but he will remain a source of inspiration to us all, especially those who will benefit from his support to the Endeavour Fund.

'We will now make sure that his family receive the support they need at this terribly difficult time.'

Mr Worsley set off from Berkner Island on November 14, in an attempt to complete British explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton's unfinished attempt 100 years on. He had a very personal connection to the expedition as his ancestor Frank Worsley was skipper on the expedition's ship the Endurance.

The environment is so inhospitable that it pushes even the fittest explorer to breaking point. Daily temperatures drop to -44C while travellers must battle blizzard-like whiteouts. 

Mr Worsley aimed to make the journey completely unaided with no re-supplying and reached the South Pole on January 3.

On the way the former Lieutenant Colonel has lost a front tooth after biting on a frozen energy bar and was trapped in his tent for two days by a storm that wiped out an entire penguin colony.

He only changed his underpants once during his journey - on day 61 - and was expected to reach the finish line on the Ross Ice Shelf on Tuesday. 

But last Wednesday his pace slowed dramatically, and he covered just four miles in five hours, before collapsing in his tent within sight of the Transatlantic mountains.

His wife pleaded for his team to pull him off the ice, but while the support crew flew to a nearby pick up point, they insisted they had to wait until Mr Worsley made the call.

Mr Worsley is pictured with his wife Joanna, 56, and two children Alicia, 19, and Max, 21, at a Kensington Palace event held prior to his departure to the ice

A soldier for several decades, here he is pictured during his time as a Army officer meeting the Duchess of Cambridge

Prince William meets with Mr Worsley at Kensington Palace ahead of the explorer's attempt to cross the icy continent

Former footballer David Beckham also posted a tribute to Mr Worsley, who he met on the continent at the outset of the adventurer's trip (pictured together)

After spending two days in his tent, he called for help on Friday evening and was flown six hours to Union Glacier camp before being airlifted on to Punta Arenas, in Chile.

In an emotional final audio message after he called for his retrieval, Mr Worsley said the first thing he wanted to do was get a hot cup of tea - and a piece of cake.

Speaking while awaiting the arrival of his rescuers, he said: 'My journey is at an end. I've run out of time, physical endurance, and simple sheer ability to slide one ski in front of the other to travel the distance required to reach my goal.

'My summit was just out of reach. I've spent 70 days on my own in a place I love. I'll lick my wounds, they will heal over time, and I'll come to terms with the disappointment.

'What will lift my spirit will be the knowledge of all your support and generosity over the past two months.

'I set out on this journey to attempt the first solo unsupported crossing of the Antarctic landmass, a feat of endurance never before achieved.

'But more importantly, to raise support for The Endeavour Fund, to assist wounded soldiers in their rehabilitation. Having been a career soldier for 36 years and recently retired, it has been a way of giving back to those far less fortunate than me.

'The 71 days alone on the Antarctic with over 900 statute miles covered and a gradual grinding down of my physical endurance finally took its toll today, and it is with sadness that I report it is journey’s end – so close to my goal.'

Agonisingly short: The intrepid 55-year-old, who had to call off his attempt because his body 'shut down' from exhaustion and extreme dehydration, was 913 miles into a 1,100-mile trek across the Antarctic  (pictured)

IN HIS WORDS: THE FINAL DAYS OF HENRY WORSLEY'S DRAINING TRIP

Mr Worsley kept an audio diary throughout the journey which he updated every day

In the final days of his expedition, Mr Worsley's audio diary revealed he was battling with energy-sapping soft snow and fighting 'extreme fatigue'. 

DAY 67:

Mr Worsley revealed he had eaten his pudding hours before his dinner in a bid to try and boost his energy levels.

Broadcasting at 1am, he said: 'It has been a punishing day which was looking good at the outset.

'Although an 80 percent whiteout persisted all day, the cruelty was it was very soft snow - it was hellish, all day.

'I must now do over 16 nautical miles per day until I reach the glacier. This makes for a very long 16 hour day, finishing as it did this evening [at 1am] and having to be up again at 5.30.'

He ends his trekking update saying he was praying 'for a harder [snow] surface'. 

DAY 68:

The following day, his spirits seemed to be raised after finding a peaceful solitude inside a powerful whiteout - and a glimpse of his finish line. 

On January 18, he said: 'Bit of a mixed bag today. I woke to the thickest whiteout I can recall, I had glasses on all day.

'Although curiously, I found the hours in the whiteout strangely calm, or though provoking this time. It may be because the surface was flat this time.

'Today was not too gruelling really - as some [days are]. Once the cloud cleared in the afternoon I was able to see the mountains.

'That was a great thrill. Tomorrow I will rise early and aim to catch up a mile or two on the total.'

DAY 69:

He appears to have accepted defeat upon the realisation he cannot reach the finishing line in time.

'This has been an unproductive day unfortunately, on the realisation that I don't think we have time to reach the ice shelf for the intended pick up.

'If I step on the blue ice, at least I will have reached part of the destination. Today was another day of awful whiteout.

'I have not hit any soft spots, and my fingers are all very sore. The little finger of my left hand is close to being frostbitten.'

Appearing to accept to defeat, he goes on to thank all those who supported him, particularly those who donated money.

DAY 70:

Officially declaring his journey is at an end, he tells listeners that in the words of Shackleton, he has 'shot my bolt' and called in a retrieval.

'My journey is at an end. I've run out of time, physical endurance, and simple sheer ability to slide one ski in front of the other to travel the distance required to reach my goal.

'My summit was just out of reach. I've spent 70 days on my own in a place I love. I'll lick my wounds, they will heal over time, and I'll come to terms with the disappointment.'

According to his audio diary, the former Army officer finally accepted defeat after several days of whiteouts and -44C temperatures

Mr Worsley had developed peritonitis, which occurs when the tissue lining the inside of the abdomen becomes infected and causes nausea, abdominal pains and loss of appetite.

After being collected by rescuers, he was taken to a hospital in Punta Arenas, Chile, where he underwent surgery, but ultimately succumbed to the illness.

His wife said that he had lost more than 50lbs and was on a drip in the hope he would recover from extreme exhaustion.

She said: 'I'm so very, very proud of him. I can't wait to have him home and give him a hug. He was suffering from total shut down and total and complete exhaustion.

'He got into his tent and he couldn't move, couldn't eat, and didn't even have the energy to boil the kettle.

'Obviously he will feel disappointed. I know he will be sad, but Shackleton never reached his goals, and what Henry has done is extraordinary.'

He has raised £100,940 for the Endeavour Fund charity founded by the royal family to fund sporting and adventure challenges to help the recovery of servicemen and women.

On Christmas Day he got a message of encouragement from patron Prince William who told him 'you are doing a cracking job'.

Shackleton Solo team member, Catherine Gale, said last week Mr Worsley was treated for bacterial peritonitis.

Speaking prior to his death, she said: 'He reluctantly made the decision to call the end of the expedition and clearly he pushed himself to the limits. He had very very bad weather - the whole way it was against him.' 

Despite his expedition ending in failure, the married father-of-two raised more than £100,000 for injured soldiers. 

Mr Worsley drags his sled, containing his provisions and camping equipment, across the snow in Antarctica

David Beckham also joined those paying tribute to the polar explorer.

Writing on Facebook, he described his own memories of the adventurer and posted a photo of himself with Mr Worsley.

'No words can describe the sadness of the loss of Henry Worsley... I was lucky enough to have met Henry on my way out to the Antarctic and I asked if I could use his Union Jack for a picture he kindly leant it to me but I could feel how special this was to him so I was so honoured that he had done this for me..,' Beckham said.

'A man that has served our country for so many years and a man that talked about his family with so much pride... Our thoughts are with Henry's family at this time.'

Fellow modern day adventurers Bear Grylls and Ben Fogle also shared their sadness at the news.

Grylls wrote: 'We are devastated by this loss. One of the strongest men & bravest soldiers I know. Praying for his special family', while Fogle said: 'So sad to hear that Antarctic explorer Henry Worsley @shackletonsolo has passed away. An inspiration to us all.'

And Paul Rose, base commander for the British Antarctic Survey for 10 years, said: 'It's a sad day. I met Henry at the Royal Geographical Society, very briefly, and in that short meeting he really impressed me. He was very organised, very dedicated - an incredible sense of power with him too.'

He told the BBC: 'He wasn't just a head case going off on mad adventure. Henry really thought this thing through so I was terribly sad to see the news today.'

He described Mr Worsley's expedition as 'unheard of', adding: 'It's a tremendous journey... I've worked for many, many years in Antarctica. The conditions haven't changed from Scott and Shackleton's days. The Antarctic is still an incredibly hostile place.' 

Relative: Mr Worsley, a descendant of Frank Worsley, Sir Ernest Shackleton's skipper on the Endurance expedition (left), had aimed to complete the unfinished attempt Shackleton (right) made a century ago

Stuck: Shackleton attempted to cross the Antarctic on the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914-17, but disaster struck when his ship became trapped in pack ice (pictured)

Sir Ernest Shackleton's granddaughter Alexandra Shackleton said Mr Worsley's death would be a 'huge loss to the adventuring world'.

'This is a day of great sadness. Henry will be a huge loss to the adventuring world and the fact that he very, very nearly made it - only 30 miles short of his goal - makes it in some way seem worse,' she told the BBC.

'He was very energetic, very keen on testing himself, seeing how far he could get with his endeavours.'

She added: 'The whole point of this one was that Henry was doing it on his own. I suppose you could say he was doing more and more adventurous and interesting things. In this case sadly it was just a bit too taxing.'

Shackleton attempted to cross the Antarctic on the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914-17, but disaster struck when his ship became trapped in pack ice.

In 1921, he returned to the Antarctic with the Shackleton-Rowett Expedition, but died of a heart attack while his ship was moored in South Georgia.

The charity Help For Heroes also praised Mr Worsley's commitment to helping fellow servicemen and women.

The organisation tweeted: 'We are extremely sad to hear Henry Worsley has died. His dedication & support of £ArmedForces & @EndeavourFund was exceptional.'

The Endeavour Fund, for which he was raising money, said it was 'devastated by [the] tragic conclusion to @shackletonsolo. We join Henry's family in mourning their loss'.

'We are very proud to have been associated with Henry's tremendous achievements.'

And the head of the Army, General Sir Nick Carter - a close friend of the explorer - paid tribute to Mr Worsley's courage and determination.

'He is an extraordinary combination because on the one hand he is very compassionate, he has huge humanity, he appreciates things like art and beauty and he is wonderful with the young,' he told BBC Radio 4's The World At One.

'At the same time he is a remarkable, brave man - a hard man with extraordinary traits of courage and determination and tenacity to try and achieve his goal, but he does all of it with the most extraordinary modesty and humility.

'You'd never know - like really brave men - how brave he really is.'

Fellow British adventurer David Hempleman-Adams said Mr Worsley died doing what he loved and that people should not be put off pushing themselves to the limit in the wake of his death. 

He described Mr Worsley’s bid to make the first solo crossing of the Antarctic as 'absolutely phenomenal', but said that tragically 'his luck ran out'.

'If there’s any comfort, he died doing something he loved in a beautiful place,' he added.

Hempleman-Adams, who was the first Briton to walk solo and unsupported to the South Pole in 1996, said: 'I think any Briton should be very proud of what he’s achieved and what he’s done and shown the rest of the world.'

He added: 'He was raising money for a great charity, the Endeavour Fund, and ... hopefully it will not stop people going down and pushing themselves to the limit because that’s what man does. It doesn’t matter whether that’s climbing or polar or sailing or into space.

'Man will inherently push those barriers and that’s what he was doing. He was pushing those barriers but doing it because he loved doing it as well.

'We live in a society of health and safety and putting our kids into cotton wool boxes. He was contrary to that. He was going out pushing the limits to the extreme. He showed you could do extraordinary things if you put your mind to it.'

Speaking of his own experiences and the prospect of not making it back, Hempleman-Adams said: 'You never ever think it’s going to happen you.

Hempleman-Adams was the first person to complete the Explorer’s Grand Slam, which consists of conquering both the North and South Pole as well as reaching the summits of the highest peaks in each of the seven continents.

• Those willing to donate to Mr Worsley's cause can do so here. All proceeds will go to The Endeavour Fund, a charity which helps wounded soldiers participate in physical activity.

Map: The route taken by Shackleton and his crew as they sailed to the Antarctic for the 1914-1917 expedition

ENDURING LIFE IN THE FREEZER: SHACKLETON'S FAILED EXPEDITION

Crew members of Shackleton's expedition haul a life boat across the ice after their ship became stuck

Shackleton's Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, from 1914 to 1917, was an attempt to make the first land crossing of the Antarctic continent.

The expedition left England in August 1914, and sailed via Buenos Aires and South Georgia before departing for the Antarctic on December 5.

But early in the journey the ship and its 28-man crew became trapped in the pack ice of the Weddell Sea.

It drifted northward throughout the Antarctic winter of 1915 and was crushed and sank on November 21 1915, stranding the crew on the ice.

After months spent in makeshift camps on the ice, the party took to three lifeboats to reach the inhospitable and uninhabited Elephant Island.

Shackleton and five others made an 800-mile open boat journey in the tiny James Caird boat to reach South Georgia, crossing the island on foot to raise the alarm, before returning to rescue those still stranded.

The final members of the crew were finally rescued in August 1916, after a 22-month fight for their lives.