Couple Found Dead Last Week Likely Died Of Exposure, Preliminary Investigations Show

Preliminary investigations being conducted by the police indicate that a young couple who were found dead in South Iceland last week very likely died of exposure. This was disclosed in an announcement from the South Iceland Police.

The police emphasise that these are only preliminary investigations, but they found no signs that anyone had interfered with either person nor do they suspect any criminal activity was at play. We now know that the couple, who were Chinese nationals, were very young indeed—the man was born in 1997 and the woman was born in 1999. Their relations arrived in Iceland last Sunday and met with police, and representatives of the Chinese embassy met with police on Monday.

As reported, the two were found dead about 150 metres apart from one another, near the wreckage of the DC-3 airplane on Sólheimasandur, South Iceland on January 16th. Initial investigations showed that they had been spotted on security camera in Hvolsvellir, west of the scene, the previous Monday. Very poor weather conditions, marked by high winds and blowing snow, swept over Iceland shortly thereafter.

The car that it is believed the couple had rented was found parked in a parking lot at Sólheimasandur, and sources close to Vísir say the windows had been broken. It is not known if the couple were in the car at the time the windows had been broken, but police now believe the two walked from their car due south, towards the plane wreckage. Mobile phone connection in the area is spotty at times and, had they been caught in the storm, could have had difficulty calling for help.

The police will disclose further information as their investigations continue.