According to the Police in South Iceland the man who drowned on Reynisfjara beach as he was swept to sea by an incoming wave was a Chinese national, born in 1976. He was travelling in Iceland with his wife who witnessed the accident.
Read more: Developing: Traveller swept to sea in Reynisfjara beach found dead
The man was taking photographs, standing on top of a fee-standing 50 cm (1.6 feet) high basalt column by the basalt column cliff a few meters from (10-15 ft) at the edge of the beach, when an incoming wave crashed into him, knocking him off the rock and pulling him to sea. In all 35 people participated in the rescue operation which went underway immediately, including Search and Rescue units and a rescue boat from nearby village of Vík, local police and the Coast Guard, including a rescue helicopter.
Initially it was suspected the wave might have thrown the man into the nearby cliff, knocking him unconscious, but police believe this is highly unlikely, suspecting he drowned as the waves pulled him to the sea. The man’s body was found out at sea shortly after the search began, some 550 m (1,800 feet) from the coast. Attempts to resuscitate the man failed, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police have released a photograph taken at the scene which clearly shows the column upon which the man stood. Sveinn Kristján Rúnarsson, head of the Police in South Iceland tells the Icelandic National Broadcasting service that there were two witnesses to the accident, including the man’s wife. The two were travelling in Iceland on their own.
Read more: Photos: Travellers in grave danger on Reynisfjara beach, narrowly escape being swept away by waves
According to witnesses quoted by the local news site visir.is the weather was very good when the accident took place, the sun shining and the ocean relatively calm and few large waves. However, the North Atlantic can be both unpredictable and extremely powerful, as much larger waves can come crashing in with no warning, putting travellers in extreme danger. If people are knocked down the power of the ocean, as it pulls the waves back out, can be overwhelming. People who have been rescued from the waves have described it as being stuck in a washing machine: people have no way of either swimming or getting to their feet, or figuring out which way is up or how to get back to land.
According to the Police in South Iceland the man who drowned on Reynisfjara beach as he was swept to sea by an incoming wave was a Chinese national, born in 1976. He was travelling in Iceland with his wife who witnessed the accident.
Read more: Developing: Traveller swept to sea in Reynisfjara beach found dead
The man was taking photographs, standing on top of a fee-standing 50 cm (1.6 feet) high basalt column by the basalt column cliff a few meters from (10-15 ft) at the edge of the beach, when an incoming wave crashed into him, knocking him off the rock and pulling him to sea. In all 35 people participated in the rescue operation which went underway immediately, including Search and Rescue units and a rescue boat from nearby village of Vík, local police and the Coast Guard, including a rescue helicopter.
Initially it was suspected the wave might have thrown the man into the nearby cliff, knocking him unconscious, but police believe this is highly unlikely, suspecting he drowned as the waves pulled him to the sea. The man’s body was found out at sea shortly after the search began, some 550 m (1,800 feet) from the coast. Attempts to resuscitate the man failed, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police have released a photograph taken at the scene which clearly shows the column upon which the man stood. Sveinn Kristján Rúnarsson, head of the Police in South Iceland tells the Icelandic National Broadcasting service that there were two witnesses to the accident, including the man’s wife. The two were travelling in Iceland on their own.
Read more: Photos: Travellers in grave danger on Reynisfjara beach, narrowly escape being swept away by waves
According to witnesses quoted by the local news site visir.is the weather was very good when the accident took place, the sun shining and the ocean relatively calm and few large waves. However, the North Atlantic can be both unpredictable and extremely powerful, as much larger waves can come crashing in with no warning, putting travellers in extreme danger. If people are knocked down the power of the ocean, as it pulls the waves back out, can be overwhelming. People who have been rescued from the waves have described it as being stuck in a washing machine: people have no way of either swimming or getting to their feet, or figuring out which way is up or how to get back to land.
