Silfra fissure

Thingvellir National park – Silfra claims another life

A man from the US lost his life by Silfra where he was snorkeling with a group of tourists on 12 February. It is yet unclear if his death was caused by illness or accident, and the case is under investigation. Resuscitation attempts were made on Silfra’s banks to no avail.

The savety mesures for tourists doing in the Silfra rift has been under scrutiny lately. Just over a month ago a woman came close to death when she became exhausted while diving in the rift and last year a woman died there. Silfra has previously claimed two more lives, one in 2010 and 2012.

Private companies offer diving tours in Silfra and 1000 IKR of their fee is donated to the National park. The park’s authorities are legally authorized to ban diving in the Silfra rift. The incident is yet again calling into question the rules and regulations surrounding diving and tourism at Silfra.

Silfra is a fissure or rift formed between the opposing tectonic plates of the North American and Eurasian continents. It’s located in the Thingvallavatn Lake in the Thingvellir National Park. Silfra has attracted scuba divers and snorkelers with exceptionally clear visibility for years, the geological significance and the rare opportunity to swim between continental plates is also an attraction. The site has been named as the world’s top fifty diving destinations.