The Chinese woman who was left in critical condition after a scuba diving incident in Silfra fissure in Þingvellir National Park was likely pulled into an undercurrent, causing her to sink 30 metres (98 ft) to the bottom of the fissure.
According to newsagent Vísir, the woman was vacationing in Iceland with her husband. The Chinese embassy in Iceland has provided support and advice to the woman’s husband and family following the accident.
Selfoss Police Department is investigating the incident and questioning witnesses. Þorgrímur Óli Sigurðsson, assistant chief constable of the South Iceland Police Department, says the woman had not been diving deeper than rules dictate and that she likely got pulled into an undercurrent. Pieces of her diving gear were found scattered at the bottom of the fissure.
The woman had been diving with a licenced guide when the incident occurred. The guide managed to get the woman back to the surface with the aid of other divers.
The fissure, which is part of the dramatic divergent tectonic boundary between the North American and Eurasian plates, attracts around 30 thousand divers annually. Stricter rules for diving in Silfra were introduced in 2013 after a fatal diving accident on 28 December 2012. Following the incident, a decision was taken to ban diving below 18 metres in a bid to ensure divers’ safety.
The Chinese woman who was left in critical condition after a scuba diving incident in Silfra fissure in Þingvellir National Park was likely pulled into an undercurrent, causing her to sink 30 metres (98 ft) to the bottom of the fissure.
According to newsagent Vísir, the woman was vacationing in Iceland with her husband. The Chinese embassy in Iceland has provided support and advice to the woman’s husband and family following the accident.
Selfoss Police Department is investigating the incident and questioning witnesses. Þorgrímur Óli Sigurðsson, assistant chief constable of the South Iceland Police Department, says the woman had not been diving deeper than rules dictate and that she likely got pulled into an undercurrent. Pieces of her diving gear were found scattered at the bottom of the fissure.
The woman had been diving with a licenced guide when the incident occurred. The guide managed to get the woman back to the surface with the aid of other divers.
The fissure, which is part of the dramatic divergent tectonic boundary between the North American and Eurasian plates, attracts around 30 thousand divers annually. Stricter rules for diving in Silfra were introduced in 2013 after a fatal diving accident on 28 December 2012. Following the incident, a decision was taken to ban diving below 18 metres in a bid to ensure divers’ safety.
