Yesterday, April 9, 50 years had passed since 11 fishermen were killed in an unexpected and disastrous snowstorm that hit North Iceland at Easter 1963. Among them were seven young men from Dalvík. The event was remembered with a ceremony in the town.
Boats sail from Dalvík to Gjögur as part of the ceremony. Photo by Páll Stefánsson/Iceland Review.
“I remember when dad told me … how the weather, which had been good, changed in a fraction of a second and a crazy storm hit,” wrote Dalvík local Júlíus Júlíusson on his Facebook page.
“My dad saw a woman from the window who was hanging from a lamppost … he fought the storm the 20 meters it took to reach the woman and helped her,” he added.
As part of yesterday’s ceremony, wooden boats sailed from Dalvík and Húsavík, meeting up at the opening of Eyjafjörður, north of Gjögur on Flateyjarskagi peninsula, svarfdaelasysl.com reports.
There, a wreath of flowers was thrown into the ocean in the memory of those who died in the presence of Rev. Magnús G. Gunnarsson who said a few words.
In the afternoon, a memorial by artist Jón Adolf Steinólfsson was unveiled in the Dalvík harbor, after which a special sermon was held in the local church.
ESA
