An American couple were victims of an ice cave collapse on southeast Iceland’s Breidamerkurjokull Glacier. The man was killed, and his partner was gravely injured. The couple were part of a tour group exploring an ice cave on the glacier. The U.S. embassy in Reykjavik has confirmed the death of one of its citizens and the injury of another but declined to identify the persons in question by name.
The Southern Iceland Police confirmed that a group of 23 tourists from various countries, along with their guide, were exploring the ice cave when the tragic collapse occurred. Initially, it was thought that another two people were missing due to a clerical error by the tour operator, who believed 25 tourists had attended the tour. This led to an extensive search for the ‘missing’ two tourists with approximately 200 search and rescue team members.
The Sudurland Police identified the victims as a U.S. couple, stating that the man was fatally injured by the falling ice. His partner was airlifted to a regional hospital, where she remains in stable condition with non-life-threatening injuries.
Breidamerkurjokull Glacier is an outlet glacier of the Vatnajökull Glacier inside the Vatnajökull National Park. The National Park is known for its stunning, ice-cold beauty and has been used in several movies and TV series, including Games of Thrones, Lara Croft Tomb Raider, and The Midnight Sky.
This incident serves as a sobering reminder of the inherent risks in exploring natural wonders like ice caves, even under guided supervision. Iceland is known for its seismic activity and has seen several earthquakes and tremors in the last 48 hours alone. On Thursday and Friday, a volcano erupted on the Reykjanes peninsula.
