A coach driver died yesterday evening after suffering a heart attack at the wheel, as he was driving near Seljalandsfoss waterfall in South Iceland.
The man was driving a small coach for the company Reykjavík Excursions and had 20 passengers on board at the time—18 Danish schoolchildren and two staff.
He has since been named by police as 47-year-olf Þórður Vagnsson.
The coach veered off the road and came to a stop on the verge, without tipping over or spinning. According to information from South Iceland police chief Oddur Árnason, the incident was reported to police at 16.30 and a Coastguard helicopter was in the air within 15 minutes to pick the driver up.
The helicopter flew Þórður, to Landspítali hospital in Reykjavík, where he was pronounced dead. Resuscitation attempts at the scene had proven unsuccessful, Vísir reports.
According to police, none of the passengers were hurt and they were taken to a nearby community center, where Red Cross counselors, doctors and nurses helped them come to terms with the afternoon’s tragic events.
Reykjavík Excursions sent another coach to fetch the group and return them to Reykjavík, where they were offered further counseling and were briefed with more information by the police.
Þórður leaves behind a wife, a young daughter, and a grown-up son.
