Hiker found near Iceland volcano “dead for days”
The body was found on a challenging track to the north of Askja. Photo: Iceland Monitor/Sigurður Bogi Sævarsson
The tourist whose dead body was found yesterday afternoon close to the Askja volcano caldera in the Icelandic central highlands appears to have been dead for a number of days, say police.
The body was discovered by a French hiker around 2pm yesterday afternoon. The body was not on the usual track used by hikers visiting the area, but on a tougher track which few hikers use at this time of the year.
There is no mobile reception in the area where the body was found, and the French hiker making the discovery had to walk a considerable distance to call and inform authorities of the discovery.
MORE: Tourist found dead near Iceland volcano
An eight-strong team of search and rescue operatives, police, the park ranger and the hiker who found the body worked together to move the body, which arrived at the morgue in the North Iceland town of Húsavík around 3am this morning.
Despite apparently having been dead for a number of days, the victim has not been reported missing.
As previously reported, he has ID documentation with him – but police are as yet unable to give details of his nationality as the relevant foreign embassy has only just been contacted and the victim’s family has not been informed.
