Rescuers find man safe after feared fall into Ölfusá

A man was found safe near a bridge over the Ölfusá river after fears he had fallen in prompted a Coast Guard helicopter and rescue teams to respond, mbl.is reported.

The helicopter was dispatched shortly before 5pm on Tuesday. All available rescue teams in the area were also called out and arrived shortly after 5pm. It quickly became clear that no accident had occurred.

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

The man was found a short distance from the bridge over the river, where authorities had feared he might have fallen in. Þorsteinn said various things can trigger such concerns.