No further search for the American tourist who was reported missing on Saturday has been scheduled. The man was last seen in Landmannalaugar, in Iceland’s south-central highlands, on September 10 and is presumed dead.
Landmannalaugar. Photo: Geir Ólafsson/Iceland Review.
The police in Hvolsvöllur, South Iceland, reported the man, Nathan Foley Mendelssohn, missing after his relatives in the U.S. contacted the Icelandic police. His rental car was found on Saturday, two weeks after it should have been returned, ruv.is reports.
He had planned to hike the Laugavegur route from Landmannalaugar to Þórsmörk and from there across Fimmvörðuháls to Skógar. His traveling companions decided to abandon the hike due to bad weather and so Mendelssohn continued on his own.
Extensive search was launched on Saturday and continued throughout the weekend. Mendelssohn’s friends in Iceland participated in the search and his family rented a helicopter as the Icelandic Coast Guard’s helicopter wasn’t available.
Chief of Police in Hvolsvöllur Sveinn Kristján Rúnarsson said no further evidence has been found and Mendelssohn is presumed dead.
As to why he wasn’t reported missing when the rental car didn’t turn up on time, Sveinn stated the most likely explanation is that the main tourism season is coming to an end and rental cars are being delivered en masse. There may have been a mix-up, he suggested.
Related:
30.09.2013 | American Tourist Missing in Iceland’s Highlands
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