Travel

Young Britons attempting to cross Iceland on skis rescued for the third time

By Staff

Down but safe The three adventurers at the Coast Guard's hangar shortly after arriving to Reykjavík today. From left Archie Wilson, expedition leader Charlie Smith and Stefan Rijnbeek. Photo/Böddi/Vísir.is

The three remaining young Britons, who have been battling to journey on skis across Iceland’s central highlands, had to be rescued by a helicopter earlier today along with a two-man film team, who had joined them several days ago.

According to local news site Vísir.is this was the third time the group had to seek the assistance of Icelandic Search and Rescue (SAR) units since their trip began in Northeast Iceland earlier in December.

The four man group, aged 19 to 20 years, went down to three when one member suffered a lung infection shortly after the group set off and had to be fetched by a local Northeast Iceland SAR team before returning home to England.

A South Iceland SAR unit then assisted the group when one of its member needed medical treatment due to frostbite on his toes, after travelling across the most unforgiving part of the highlands.

Today the young Britons finally had to admit defeat against Iceland’s ruthless weather. When the Coast Guard’s helicopter arrived to fetch them, northwest of Mýrdalsjökull glacier in South Iceland, they were cold and wet and not able to proceed any further.

The adventurers were on a 18 day hike across Iceland called “The Coldest Crossing” aiming at “become the first people to cross Iceland unsupported in Winter,” as they put it on their website. The group promised to rely “solely on the equipment and food we have carried and hauled with us since the start of the expedition.“

Iceland’s gods of weather have been in an exceptionally foul mood in December and we at Iceland Magazine can only say well done to the young adventurers for coming so close to finishing their mission.

At the same time we sincerely hope they are well insured and offer to pay for the repeated local assistance, which is obviously a costly affair. They can however walk away without paying for the service if they so choose.

The Coast Guard does not charge for its service and the operations of the SAR teams are funded primarily by public donations. The local units are manned by volunteers who participate in rescue operations in their spare time or get time off from their employers.