LinksSonntag, Oktober 7, 2012, 10:11 - ISLAND / ICELAND
... a foreign tourist was reported missing in the volcanic canyon Eldgjá in the southern highlands after she failed to return to her tour bus. The driver waited for about one hour before notifying the police and continuing the tour. Search and rescue were sent to the area shortly afterwards. A helicopter was ready to be sent to the area to assist with the search but the plans were put off due to foggy conditions. Around 50 people participated in the search on vehicles and by foot.
However, the search was called off at 3 am when it turned out that the missing woman had been on the bus all along and even participated in the search for herself.
Before reentering the bus after the stop at Eldgjá, the woman had changed her clothes and freshened up, resulting in the other passengers not recognizing her.
Chief of police in Hvolsvöllur, Sveinn K. Rúnarsson, told that the woman was innocent of the mistake; the people on the bus hadn’t been counted correctly. She didn’t recognize the description of herself and “had no idea that she was missing.”
From the [Iceland Review], Vol. #04 2012