A Spanish tourist who had requested assistance after running out of gas was found in the southern highlands at 9:30 pm last night after a three to four hour search. The location which he stated according to a GPS monitor proved to be false.
The stranded tourist was found in the vicinity of Hekla volcano. Photo by Geir Ólafsson.
The man was very happy when two women from the search and rescue association Flugbjörgunarsveitin at Hella, south Iceland, appeared with gas, Morgunbladid reports.
What saved the man was that he managed to get a mobile connection up on a hillock and call for assistance. The battery was full and so the man could be contacted regularly.
Svanur S. Lárusson, chairman of Flugbjörgunarsveitin at Hella, said the man had run out of gas the night before. He was afraid that he might have to spend another night in the cold car.
The tourist was driving a rental car with a GPS monitor from the car rental. When the GPS stated the wrong location the man’s mobile phone was used to locate him. He was midway between Hekla volcano and Laufafell, below the Raudfossafjöll mountains.
