Buzz Aldrin tweets from his Christchurch hospital bed

Buzz Aldrin gives the thumbs up from his hospital bed with surprise visitor Dava Newman of NASA. Photo / Twitter.

Buzz Aldrin has tweeted from his hospital bed in Christchurch today after he had to be evacuated from the South Pole with fluid in the lungs.

The former astronaut who was the second man to walk on the moon, was visiting Antarctica as a tourist when he fell ill.

He was flown to Christchurch from McMurdo Station and immediately taken to hospital yesterday.

This morning the 86-year-old tweeted that he had a surprise visitor from a long-time friend NASA deputy administrator Dava Newman.

Aldrin posed in photographs with Newman for the tweet.

I had a surprise visitor this morning. My longtime friend @DavaExplorer @NASA Dep Administrator. She beat me to the South Pole by one day. pic.twitter.com/NMKEAcxs65

— Dr. Buzz Aldrin (@TheRealBuzz) December 2, 2016

His manager Christina Korp posted on Twitter yesterday that Aldrin made it to the South Pole before he was flown out.

As @TheRealBuzz is recovering I did want to let people know that he did make it to the South Pole which was his objective. Thnx for prayers! pic.twitter.com/jDWcq7PvU0

— Christina Korp (@Xtina_Korp) December 2, 2016

Earlier Korp tweeted that Aldrin had fluid in his lungs, but was recovering in hospital after a "gruelling" 24-hour flight.

After a grueling 24 hours we're safe in New Zealand. Here's the press release about how @TheRealBuzz is doing. https://t.co/neSc2MSaA7 pic.twitter.com/ompWjrbws7

— Christina Korp (@Xtina_Korp) December 1, 2016

In a statement on Aldrin's website, it said he was "responding well to antibiotics" and his condition is stable.

Aldrin was on a sightseeing tour with his son Andrew, according to the Associated Press. The tour group departed Cape Town, South Africa on Tuesday.