A group of tourists rescued on Svínafellsjökull glacier
The Coast Guard's helicopter was called out to Svínafellsjökull glacier, south of Vatnajökull glacier, around 11 pm last night. Photo/The Icelandic Coast Guard
The rescue teams of Landsbjörg and the helicopter team of the Icelandic Coast Guard were called out late last night for a group of tourists who were in trouble and had lost their way up on Svínafellsjökull glacier in southeast Iceland.
Rescue workers reached the hiking group of seven people at about 11 pm last night and it quickly became apparent that they needed to call in a helicopter, as one of the group had slipped on the glacier and injured his foot.
“One person was injured, along with the fact that the hiking group couldn’t find the way off the glacier and had become exhausted,” Ásgeir Erlendsson, information officer of the Icelandic Coast Guard, tells us.
When the rescue team came to the area last night it was decided to call for a helicopter for the injured man. Photo/The Icelandic Coast Guard
A dangerous situation
Due to the difficult situation, everyone was then ferried by helicopter, both hikers and rescue workers. “It was a dangerous and challenging situation,” Erlendsson added.
The group landed in Freysnes and the injured man was taken to the hospital at Höfn in Hornafjörður.
Erlendsson says that the incident shows the strong cooperation between the Icelandic Coast Guard and Landsbjörg Rescue Team is a good example.
