A man in his fifties died while kayaking yesterday in the Herdísarvík Nature Reserve near Selfoss, Mbl.is reports.
A pedestrian who was taking a walk in Herdísavík alerted police around 15:00 yesterday afternoon. The pedestrian could see from the beach that there was an overturned kayak in the water with a man hanging off it who appeared to be in trouble.
Police sent immediate assistance from the rescue squads from Þorlákshöfn and a helicopter from Eyrabakki. The teams arrived quickly, and the helicopter crew got the man out of the water. They performed first aid at the scene but could not revive him.
The man was kayaking alone. It is unknown if he was a local or a tourist.
UPDATE: The deceased has been identified as 52-year old Jón Þór Traustason of Reykjavík, Mbl.is reports. He was born on May 13, 1960 and is survived by a wife and three grown children.
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