Icelandic police on Monday called off the search for anyone trapped in the previous day’s collapse of an ice cave that killed one person and injured another, affirming that all members of the tourist expedition had been accounted for.
Initially, authorities had launched an extensive rescue operation, mobilizing as many as 200 rescuers to sift through the icy debris by hand in search of two people believed to be missing. However, after scrutinizing the tour operator’s records, it was determined that only 23 people had been on the ice cave tour, not 25 as initially thought. Despite this, rescuers continued their efforts until every bit of collapsed ice had been thoroughly moved to ensure no one had been left behind.
“The police field manager located at the scene announced that all the ice that was thought to have fallen on the people had been moved,” police stated. “It has come to light that no one (was) hidden under the ice.’’
The rescue operation had commenced around 3 p.m. local time on Sunday after reports emerged of an ice cave collapse at the Breidamerkurjokull glacier in southeastern Iceland. Tragically, one man died at the scene, and a woman was airlifted to a hospital in Reykjavik by helicopter. According to police, both victims were American citizens.
The search, halted overnight due to hazardous conditions, resumed around 7 a.m., as reported by Icelandic broadcaster RUV. Video footage revealed rescuers laboring inside two vast craters amidst the sand-blackened ice of the Breidamerkurjokull glacier.
By the end of the day, officials confirmed that no one else was missing. Police acknowledged that “misleading information” had initially caused confusion about the number of people on the trip.
The Association of Icelandic Mountain Guides has called for a comprehensive investigation and stricter regulations on ice cave tours, noting the increased danger of glacier excursions during the warmer summer months. The tourism agency is preparing a report for the government to address regulations pertaining to glacier trips, especially ice cave tours. Iceland’s Minister of Tourism, Lilja Alfredsdóttir, stated that the issue will be discussed in parliament.
Ice caves are a sought-after destination for tourists in Iceland, with tour operators enticing visitors with the opportunity to “explore the insides of glaciers” and marvel at the blue hues and “stunning patterns” in the ice.
Glaciers encompass approximately 11% of Iceland, an island nation located in the North Atlantic near the Arctic Circle’s southern edge. Vatnajokull, the largest glacier, spans 7,900 square kilometers (3,050 square miles). Breidamerkurjokull, a tongue of Vatnajokull, terminates at the Jokulsarlon Lagoon, where icebergs continually break away from the glacier.
Transporting rescue equipment and personnel to the glacier presented formidable challenges due to the rugged terrain, forcing rescuers to cut through the ice with chainsaws. The glacier is situated about 300 kilometers (185 miles) from a volcano that erupted on Friday on the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwestern Iceland.
