Tourists On Ice Wanted To Look At Seals

The tourists who were “trapped” on ice yesterday had reportedly wandered off to get a better look at seals.

While it was initially reported that some 50 tourists had become trapped at Jökulsárlón when they wandered onto floating ice, Vísir now reports that they were not actually trapped. They had, however, wandered out onto the ice and had to be called back to land.

Rescue worker Friðrik Jónas Friðriksson, from nearby Hornafjörður, was one of the first to arrive on the scene yesterday. He told reporters that the tourists in question had ventured far out onto thin ice in order to get a better look at a large group of seals spotted nearby.

About 300 metres from land, the tourists were called out to and told to come back on land, which they did.

“In many ways I understand the tourists, given the weather,” Friðrik told reportrers. “It’s clear, calm and sunny. It’s wonderful to be here.”

Friðrik added that furthermore there are no hazard signs in the area warning people to not wander onto floating chunks of ice heading out to the sea. That being the case, consider this your word of caution: do not wander onto floating chunks of ice heading out to the sea – or venture onto any ice over flowing water, for that matter.