VOLCANO MISSION
Hiker rescued from near lava-spewing Iceland volcano after getting lost & sending desperate SOS signal to passing plane
An alarming amount of lava is expected to have spewed in the last few days
A HIKER has been rescued from near the spewing Grindavik volcano after he became lost and sent a desperate SOS signal to a passing plane.
Rescue teams sprung into action last night after a pilot flying over the eruption noticed light flashes that he recognised as a distress sign.
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Fortunately the hiker was found, cold and exhausted, but alive as thrill seekers continue to venture too close for comfort.
Originally it was thought that there was two men stranded near the eruption sight but the information officer of the Icelandic Coast Guard, Ásgeir Erlendsson, confirmed it was only one.
“There was one man. The helicopter found him and took him back to town,” he said.
He continued: “He had become very cold and had left his equipment with a flashlight in another place, which is why it was thought that these were two men.”
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He added that the man was been placed in a safe shelter where he will be looked after.
Jaw-dropping footage shows another chopper flying above the roaring flames
The night sky was lit up by a deep orange glow as it hovered above the molten rock.
When news of the eruption broke dare devils jumped into cars and sped to the region in order to bag a front row seat to watch the drama unfold.
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The stunning explosion took place 2.4 miles from the town of Grindavik just after 10 pm on Monday at the Sundhjuka crater, on the Reykjanes peninsula.
The Icelandic Coast Guard confirmed that they had rushed to the scene to keep people safe.
They said: "The staff of the Coast Guard have had a lot of work to do, just like other responders due to the volcanic eruption that started north of Grindavík at eleven o'clock yesterday.
"As soon as the command centre of the Coast Guard received a notification that an eruption had begun, a helicopter crew was called out to fly with three scientists so that the extent of the eruption, the length of the fissure and the flow of lava could be assessed.
"The guard ship por, which was sailing off Sandgerdi, was already directed to Grindavik and arrived there around midnight.
"At the request of Sudurnesj operations management, Þór will remain available at Grindavík until further notice.
"The Coast Guard's special operations team was sent to the security area at Keflavik Airport to support the activities of the Defence Department.
"One fishing vessel was known to be in the port of Grindavik, the liner Fjolni GK, and in consultation with the shipping company Visi hf.
"The police chief in Sudurnes decided to ferry it from Grindavík. The ship's crew was located in the capital area, and the Coast Guard's special operations team was responsible for ferrying the crew via Krýsuvíkurleið and Suðurstrandarveg to Grindavík.
"Then the crew on v/s Þór was available if help was needed.The ship left Grindavík after five o'clock.
"At five o'clock tonight, the crew of TF-EIR went back on a scientific flight with four scientists over the turbulent zone.
"The helicopter landed back in Reykjavík at 5:30. Two employees of the Coast Guard were in the coordination centre of the civil defence in Skogarhlíd last night."
The latest eruption follows a series of earthquakes that led to thousands of people being evacuated last month and state of emergency declared across the country.
Magnus Tumi Gudmundsson, a scientist who flew over the site on Tuesday morning onboard a research flight, told Icelandic broadcaster RUV that he estimates twice as much lava had already spewed than the entire month long eruption on the peninsula this summer.
Gudmundsson said the eruption was expected to continue decreasing in intensity but that scientists have no idea how long it could last.
He said: "It can be over in a week, or it could take quite a bit longer."
The Icelandic Ministry of the Environment L urged people to stay away and not put their lives at risk.
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It comes as shock pictures left crowds swarming to the Grindavik volcano crater hoping to witness a spectacle.
And a "gas pollution warning" is issued as nervous locals wait for what's in store.
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