American Couple Dies During Fishing Trip In Iceland

An American couple died in Iceland yesterday after an accident occurred on Sunday at Lake Þingvallavatn in Þingvellir National Park, RÚV reports. The weather has been particularly tricky during the weekend, as unusually strong winds and heavy rains have hit the southern regions of Iceland.

The couple, who were in their forties, were passionate about fly fishing, and had been fishing in Lake Þingvallavatn on Sunday—when the rain and wind were at their worst. According to the police, the woman lost her balance on the boat and fell in the Lake, but when the man tried to come to her rescue he ultimately fainted and fell in the water, too.

An Icelandic man who was dwelling in his summerhouse in the vicinity of Villingavatn spotted the two in the water and contacted both the police and the rescue team around 11:44. When the rescue team arrived the man had already managed to get the couple out of the lake. Although the two were immediately transported to the National Hospital, the police announced the couple had passed away by yesterday afternoon.

RÚV also reports that in the night between Saturday and Sunday, another man also disappeared in the area of the National Park after having dived in the river Ölfusá. The rescue team has been looking for him mostly by boat, but a helicopter and a drone have also been deployed to widen the range of view, as the river is particularly powerful at this time of year due to heavy rains.