EXPLORER David Hempleman-Adams said polar adventurer Henry 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.

Hempleman-Adams, who lives in Box and works at his family's firm in Swindon, said Britain should be incredibly proud of what his fellow explorer had achieved.

He described 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 told the Press Association.

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.

"Of course, the history of Scott and others is always in the back of your mind, but you think it's a bygone age.

"I've been down there many times and but for the grace of god something could happen. It's just unfortunate his luck ran out."

He added: "It's a contradiction in that such a beautiful - enchanting in some ways - place, the other flip of the coin is that it can be so unremorsefully dangerous if you get bad luck."

Hempleman-Adams said he had spoken to Worsley at Christmas via satellite phone when they were both in the South Pole.

"We talked on the sat phone. I have huge admiration and respect for what he did and what's he actually achieved - absolutely phenomenal and fantastic," he said.

"Because I'm someone who's done a little bit of what he did that's why I'm full of admiration for him."

Describing the bond between fellow adventurers, he said: "There's no competition because you're only competing against yourself. But because you've done those things you've got an inherent comradeship - an unspoken comradeship - because you respect anybody doing that."

Hempleman-Adams battled through raging blizzards on an epic two month journey in 1996 to become the first Briton to walk solo and unsupported to the South Pole.

He is also 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.