Search continues for tourist believed to have fallen into Icelandic river

The search for a tourist believed to have fallen into the Jökulsá á Brú river near Stuðlagil in eastern Iceland continued on Monday night, mbl.is reported. The man had not been found by 9 p.m., and police said the operation would continue until he was located.

The search will be scaled back as darkness falls, then resume at full strength on Tuesday morning when daylight returns, according to a statement from the East Iceland police.

Nearly 100 people are taking part in the operation, including police, search and rescue teams, the special unit of the national police commissioner, the Icelandic Coast Guard, the Red Cross, ambulance crews and firefighters.

Jón Þór Víglundsson, an information officer for the Icelandic Association for Search and Rescue, told mbl.is that divers from the national police commissioner’s special unit had arrived at the scene and would search several areas.

Specially trained swift-water rescue teams from search and rescue units in the capital region had also travelled east earlier in the day.

Rescuers have searched along the river from the bridge at Klaustursel, while camera-equipped drones have been flown over the area. Particular attention has been paid to the section at Stuðlagil, where the tourist was last seen.

A lookout was placed on the Klaustursel bridge early in the operation so that someone could monitor the river in case the man was carried downstream.

The divers will use an underwater drone in selected areas. The river will also be monitored overnight, and a net will be placed there.