Rescue teams find man safe near Ölfusá

A man feared to have fallen into the Ölfusá river was found safe near a bridge, mbl.is reported. The Coast Guard helicopter and rescue teams were called out shortly before 5 p.m. on Tuesday.

The helicopter took off from Reykjavík at 4:56 p.m. All available rescue teams in the area were also dispatched and arrived shortly after 5 p.m., along with the helicopter. They were stood down once it became clear there had been no accident.

“There were fears that a man might have gone into the river, but it quickly became clear that he was safe, had never entered the river, and the call-out was cancelled,” said Þorsteinn M. Kristinsson, a shift supervisor with the South Iceland police.

The man was found a short distance from the bridge over the Ölfusá, where people had feared he had fallen into the river. Asked what had prompted the concern, Þorsteinn said several things can give rise to such suspicions.