Brother says authorities had already decided to stop search

Lúðvík Pétursson’s family believes a search operation in Grindavík was conducted for show and that authorities had decided in advance not to continue, his brother Elías told mbl.is.

Lúðvík died while working after falling into a fissure beside a house in Grindavík. On Tuesday, a team of rope-access specialists searched the fissure for more than seven hours using visual inspections and cameras, but found no sign of his remains. Police have said there will be no further search.

Elías said the family had expected Tuesday’s operation to be a first stage in assessing the conditions before deciding on further steps. He cited a memorandum from engineering firm COWI, which outlined a four-stage approach to recovering the remains, with ground disturbance increasing at each stage. The memorandum did not recommend whether the operation should go ahead; it described only how the task might be approached.

“It is clear to us that the decision not to continue the search had most likely already been made before it began on Tuesday, or at least that the conclusion was reached very quickly,” Elías said. He noted that the police chief announced the outcome later that day.

Elías said he had been asked about filling in the fissure where his brother fell. Since the site is no longer under police responsibility, he believes other excavation methods should be considered. He said he had never understood why authorities did not dig alongside the fissure, as the family had suggested from the outset, and added that he believed it was feasible.