A specially equipped ambulance vehicle and a paramedic will be stationed at Þingvellir National Park this summer to cut down on the response time to medical emergencies in the park and at nearby tourist destinations.
Several serious medical emergencies have taken place at Þingvellir, including diving accidents at Silfra fissure. The last fatal accident at Silfra took place in March 2017, when an America traveler in his 60s died of a heart attack during a snorkeling tour of the fissure. Park Rangers hope that a shorter response time to such emergencies can help save lives, as a quick response in such accidents can be of utmost importance.
The emergency vehicle is smaller than a standard ambulance and does not have a full medical team. The paramedic will be on call to respond to any medical emergencies or accidents. The government has recently announced it will increase traveler safety by adding more rangers at popular destinations, especially along the Golden Circle in South Iceland. The ambulance is an important step in this direction, according to the National Broadcasting Service. It takes an ambulance stationed in Reykjavík or the town of Selfoss at least 30 minutes, and up to an hour to reach Þingvellir, Geysir or Gullfoss.
A specially equipped ambulance vehicle and a paramedic will be stationed at Þingvellir National Park this summer to cut down on the response time to medical emergencies in the park and at nearby tourist destinations.
Several serious medical emergencies have taken place at Þingvellir, including diving accidents at Silfra fissure. The last fatal accident at Silfra took place in March 2017, when an America traveler in his 60s died of a heart attack during a snorkeling tour of the fissure. Park Rangers hope that a shorter response time to such emergencies can help save lives, as a quick response in such accidents can be of utmost importance.
The emergency vehicle is smaller than a standard ambulance and does not have a full medical team. The paramedic will be on call to respond to any medical emergencies or accidents. The government has recently announced it will increase traveler safety by adding more rangers at popular destinations, especially along the Golden Circle in South Iceland. The ambulance is an important step in this direction, according to the National Broadcasting Service. It takes an ambulance stationed in Reykjavík or the town of Selfoss at least 30 minutes, and up to an hour to reach Þingvellir, Geysir or Gullfoss.
