All available ICE-SAR companies and personnel in South Iceland were put on high alert yesterday after a foreign traveler who was visiting Reynisfjara black sand beach with a larger group was discovered to be missing. The man was found safe before the search and rescue units had begun a systematic search.
According to the local newspaper Morgunblaðið a group of 25 foreign travelers had stopped at the beach, but when the group was about to leave the man was nowhere to be found. Iceland Search and Rescue, Landsbjörg, was immediately notified, as it was feared the man might have been swept to sea by the violent waves.
Reynisfjara is one of South Iceland's most popular tourist destinations, but also a dangerous spot. In addition to dozens of close calls where people have either narrowly escaped being swept to sea or have been rescued from the surf, three travelers have drowned at the beach in recent years.
One ICE-SAR battalion had already arrived at the beach when the man was finally found. He was lost for some time, and seems to have wandered off and left the group. We feared he might have been lost on the beach, but fortunately that was not the case, Ágúst Leó Sigurðsson, the regional commander of ICE-SAR told Morgunblaðið.
All available ICE-SAR companies and personnel in South Iceland were put on high alert yesterday after a foreign traveler who was visiting Reynisfjara black sand beach with a larger group was discovered to be missing. The man was found safe before the search and rescue units had begun a systematic search.
According to the local newspaper Morgunblaðið a group of 25 foreign travelers had stopped at the beach, but when the group was about to leave the man was nowhere to be found. Iceland Search and Rescue, Landsbjörg, was immediately notified, as it was feared the man might have been swept to sea by the violent waves.
Reynisfjara is one of South Iceland's most popular tourist destinations, but also a dangerous spot. In addition to dozens of close calls where people have either narrowly escaped being swept to sea or have been rescued from the surf, three travelers have drowned at the beach in recent years.
One ICE-SAR battalion had already arrived at the beach when the man was finally found. He was lost for some time, and seems to have wandered off and left the group. We feared he might have been lost on the beach, but fortunately that was not the case, Ágúst Leó Sigurðsson, the regional commander of ICE-SAR told Morgunblaðið.
