Rescue Teams Find Two Children Missing Over The Weekend

A 12-year-old boy was missing for nearly half a day near Hveragerði. Around 300 people registered to take part in the search, which ended successfully, reports RÚV.

The search began on Friday evening and continued through the night, concluding shortly before four o’clock on Saturday morning. The boy had become separated from his parents around 16:00 on Friday near Ölfusborgir, a summerhouse area just east of Hveragerði. He was found nearby, not far from the starting point of the search, according to Jón Þór Víglundsson, information officer for Landsbjörg.

Jón Þór said the search area was extensive, covering the land between Ölfusborgir and Hveragerði and its surroundings.

“These are open, large areas. The search area had become quite big, and many people had joined the operation,” he said.

Rescue teams from Ölfus and Árborg were initially called out, along with a dog unit from the capital area. A tracking dog later joined the operation.

“Then the effort was scaled up, with more walking teams and drone teams added. The teams also used ATVs and buggy cars to cover the trails and footpaths spread across the area,” said Jón Þór. Drones equipped with thermal cameras were deployed in the search.

A Coast Guard helicopter assisted for part of the night. Jón Þór said it searched for several hours and had to refuel once on site.

“So, a great deal of effort was put into finding the boy, and fortunately, he was found,” he said.

Similar case in Akranes

A similar search took place in Akranes last night, when rescue teams were called out in West Iceland to assist police in locating a teenage girl. The search began shortly after midnight, and she was found around three o’clock in the morning.

Chief Superintendent Ásmundur Kristinn Ásmundsson told RÚV that the operation was “fairly extensive”, with drones among the tools used. Rescue team members eventually located the girl in the town.