A tragedy has occurred in the south of Iceland: an American tourist has died during an excursion to the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier.
11 0
Breiðamerkurjökull. Photo – TYRUS
This was reported by «NBN» with reference to the BBC
The incident occurred when a group of 23 people were visiting an ice cave. During the tour, a mass of ice collapsed, killing the man on the spot. His companion, also a US citizen, was injured and hospitalized. Doctors say her life is out of danger.
Rescue services, who received a message about the emergency at about 15:00, immediately began searching. Rescuers manually cleared the ice all night and the next day in the hope of finding two more people who were believed to be trapped. However, after all the ice was cleared, it became clear that there were no other victims. The search was called off.
The rescue operation was the largest in this region in recent times, with more than 200 people taking part. Important assistance was provided by tourists who were nearby, who provided the rescuers with food and a place to rest. Police noted that the data on the number of participants in the tour was initially incorrect, which created confusion.
Icelandic authorities said that such excursions, despite the risk, continue almost all year round under the guidance of experienced guides. The situation on the glacier is unpredictable, and even with all precautions, there is always an element of risk. The ice caves of Breiðamerkurjökull are a popular destination among tourists, despite the dangers associated with them.
Recall that we previously wrote about three little-known mystical locations in Ukraine.