A fatal accident at Reynisfjara Black Beach

Rescue teams from the Southern part of Iceland and the Westman Islands were called out last Friday because of an accident in Reynisfjara Black Beach just before five o‘clock. A foreign tourist had gone into the sea and got caught up in a wave. The man and his wife were in an organized tour, and his wife also went into the sea and was caught up in the same wave. However, people on the premises were able to catch her before she got sucked into the sea.

The Coast Guard helpcopter was on the scene an hour later and were able to get the man out of the sea and move him to a hospital. The Red Cross trauma team was contacted by the police to talk to the people on the scene.

Early Saturday it was reported that the man had not survived. He was in his 70s.

The area is known for dangerous sneaky waves that are very powerful even though the sea appears calm. This is the second fatal accident to happen within a year in at Reynisfjara Black Beach.

Tourists in danger on Saturday

Tourists were in danger the next day in Reynisfjara Black Beach. The Icelandic guide, Dagur Gunnarsson, filmed a part of it and gave permission to use it here.

Too many calls because of accidents in Reynisfjara Black Beach

Ingi Már Björnsson, the chairman of the rescue team Víkverji who was called out on Friday, says they are getting too many calls because of the dangers at the beach. In spite of warning signs being at the beach people are regularily getting into trouble because the sea is very dangerous in this area. He thinks tourists need even more information in order for them not to go too close to the sea. He says it is impossible to put up a fence there, unless the whole shore is fenced off.

Went into the sea in his swimming trunks

A man went into the sea at Reynisfjara Black Beach in his swimming trunks to the horror of the people present. Just the day before a fatal accident happened where a man lost his life, and it is the second fatal accident in less than a year.

When you walk down to Reynisfjara Black Beach you can clearly see warning signs about the dangers of going into the sea, but people don´t seem to heed the warning. Aðalsteinn Bergsveinsson was on the beach when this happened and caught this footage.

“We were talking about this on the way to the beach and it is impossible for people not to notice those signs. Maybe they need to be even bigger, but it is beyond me why people would do something like this,” Bergsveinsson says about the man’s behaviour. “The warning signs are right there and it is very strange if people don’t see them.”

This was the second time on Saturday someone was in danger because they went too close to the sea.

Authorities are looking into the possibility of closing off the beach or finding some solution that can prevent more fatalities.