Extensive damage left by a tourist’s off-road driving in North Iceland was repaired yesterday by the members of a local 4×4 association. Volunteers from Ferðaklúbburinn 4×4’s Eyjafjörður division repaired the deep tyre tracks left near Mývatn, North Iceland by a Russian Instagram influencer who bragged about the incident.
The repairs were carried out in collaboration with the landowners, who were very grateful to the club members for their help. They showed their thanks by treating the volunteers to a trip to Mývatn Nature Baths. “It’s safe to say that everyone was left satisfied after this job well done,” says a notice on the club’s online forum.
Russian Instagram influencer Alexander Tikhomirov sparked outrage among local and foreign nature-lovers when he posted pictures of himself on social media three days ago, posing and smiling at the scene of the crime with the caption “Congratulations, today I got a big fine.” Off-road driving is illegal in Iceland, as the sub-arctic landscape is fragile and takes decades to recover from damage. Tikhomirov paid an ISK 450,000 ($3,600/€3,200) fine for the incident.
