Search and rescue teams looked for two European hikers over the long bank-holiday weekend. On Friday a German hiker was reported missing in the Askja region in the Central Highlands, while a French hiker was reported lost in the Hornstrandir Nature Preserve in the Westfjords on Monday. Both hikers are now safe.
A case of misunderstanding and a dead cellphone
According to local newspaper Morgunblaðið the German hiker, Norbert Hillebrand, who had gone missing in the Askja region was never actually lost. The reason he was reported lost was a misunderstanding between him and a friend who had been under the impression that Hillebrand would report in at a specific time. At the same time Hillebrands cell phone had run out batteries. Later the same night Police was able to track the Hillebrand down in Ísafjörður town in the Westfjords. According to Police the man was planning on participating in the European Swamp Soccer Championship which was held in Ísafjörður over the weekend.
Across the bay: Fog and low visibility
A couple of days later, search and rescue teams went to the assistance of another hiker, just across Ísafjarðardjúp bay, in the Hornstrandir Nature Reserve. This time the lost traveller was a French hiker who requested assistance after he got lost in a fog. Due to a thick fog the visibility in the region was just 20 meters (66 feet) according to the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service. The man could not see where he was nor describe his surroundings. His cell phone was also running out of batteries. Thirty members of Search and Rescue units in the Westfjords went by boat to find and assist the man, and by Monday evening local news site visir.is reported the that the hiker had been found and rescued.
Search and rescue teams looked for two European hikers over the long bank-holiday weekend. On Friday a German hiker was reported missing in the Askja region in the Central Highlands, while a French hiker was reported lost in the Hornstrandir Nature Preserve in the Westfjords on Monday. Both hikers are now safe.
A case of misunderstanding and a dead cellphone
According to local newspaper Morgunblaðið the German hiker, Norbert Hillebrand, who had gone missing in the Askja region was never actually lost. The reason he was reported lost was a misunderstanding between him and a friend who had been under the impression that Hillebrand would report in at a specific time. At the same time Hillebrands cell phone had run out batteries. Later the same night Police was able to track the Hillebrand down in Ísafjörður town in the Westfjords. According to Police the man was planning on participating in the European Swamp Soccer Championship which was held in Ísafjörður over the weekend.
Across the bay: Fog and low visibility
A couple of days later, search and rescue teams went to the assistance of another hiker, just across Ísafjarðardjúp bay, in the Hornstrandir Nature Reserve. This time the lost traveller was a French hiker who requested assistance after he got lost in a fog. Due to a thick fog the visibility in the region was just 20 meters (66 feet) according to the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service. The man could not see where he was nor describe his surroundings. His cell phone was also running out of batteries. Thirty members of Search and Rescue units in the Westfjords went by boat to find and assist the man, and by Monday evening local news site visir.is reported the that the hiker had been found and rescued.
