On slippery slope

Tindfjallajökull

On a beautiful day in March a group of three trucks headed on Tindfjallajokull a small ice-cap in the southern region of Iceland.

Even though it is quite cold, the combination of sunshine and some wind can make a thin crust of extremely slippery ice on the top layer of what is usually just snow.

Wind is blowing strong and suddenly one of the trucks looses grip and starts to slide down the slippery slope. The driver and passenger are able to throw themselves out of the truck. The driver is able to stop himself but the lady passenger follows the truck down the slope disappearing from view.

Under the circumstances a decision is made to call the rescue unit for help. In such weather the cooling can be severe and dangerous. It is not considered safe to follow on foot.

On this photo taken by one of the rescuing team you can clearly see the tracks made from the truck sliding BACKWARDS down the slope. Stopping only at a snow bridge and only escaping falling down on the left side by a few centimeters!

A GPS system is on board the truck and reveales that the distance traveled without any driver is about 670 meters (2000 ft) and 200 meters lower (700 ft). By some amazing miracle nobody got hurt and even the truck was just fine!

Thanks to the quick reaction from the rescue unit the passenger and truck where back in civilization in only two hours from the incident.

Thrandur Arnthorsson