Reykjavík Grapevine


Reykjavík Grapevine - 07.04.2017, Blaðsíða 10

Reykjavík Grapevine - 07.04.2017, Blaðsíða 10
Words: Paul Fontaine Photos: Art Bicnick Share this: gpv.is/die05 Our readers are aware that the num- ber of tourists to Iceland is grow- ing at an accelerating rate. Yet you might be surprised to learn that while the number of tourists who die in Iceland is likewise increasing, it is not increasing in proportion with the number of tourists: in fact, the number of tourists is far outpacing the number of those who die here. That said, tourist deaths do happen, and forensic pathologist Dr. Sebastian Kunz recently compiled a comprehen- sive report on how they die. He spoke with the Grapevine on how you can keep from dying when visiting Iceland. Natural cause of death "The main cause of tourist deaths in Iceland are cardiac and pulmonary events, which means a natural cause of death,” he told us. “That being said, the main reason is, people come over here, some of them are at an advanced age, and they do things they wouldn't normally do. When you're on vacation, you tend to do things you wouldn't normally do: hiking, climbing, snor- keling, diving, stuff like that. And [if you] do that in an environment you're not used to, especially if you have a pre-existing condition, without con- sulting a doctor beforehand, or per- haps while thinking your physical condition is much better than it actu- ally is, you'll eventually over-exhaust your body.” This is the case whether you’re hiking in the hills or going snor- keling in Silfra, the freshwater ra- vine in Þingvellir National Park, where a handful of tourist deaths have occurred. Dr. Sebastian ad- dresses this issue in particular. Literally breathtaking Silfra “The main incidences at Silfra were not related to any wrongdoing of the organisers of the diving team,” he told us. “Even if you don't have a pre- existing condition, diving in Silfra can be quite breathtaking, so to speak. If you're fit, it shouldn't be a problem, but you still have to be careful. It's dif- ferent from diving or snorkeling in Miami, where you have very warm wa- ters, than when you have water that's about 4°C. It also depends how deep you go. In Silfra, you can go quite deep, and you have to ask yourself if you've gone that deep beforehand.” In addition, there’s also the question of renting a car and taking to the open road. “As anyone who has driven in Iceland can at- test, if you drive in stormy weather in a rather large car, you have to know how to handle it,” he says. “There could be people who've never driven in snow and icy conditions or in high winds before. It's not their fault; they just don't know that you can easily get kicked off the road.” Even the flight over to Iceland could be hazardous to your health, although not in the way you might think. If you’re flying over to Iceland from further away than western Europe or eastern North America, you might want to consider the risk of a pulmo- nary embolism. “If you fly long distances, you've been sitting in a not very good posi- tion, considering your blood flow,” Dr. Sebastian explains. “And if you have a pre-existing condition, or you're a smoker, or maybe a little overweight, a clot can develop in the lower legs, which then makes its way to the heart." To prevent this, he recommends wear- ing compression socks, or simply get- ting up and walking up and down the aisle a few times during your flight. Training = probably not dying Your vacation to Iceland does not need to end in tragedy, however. Dr. Sebastian of- fers some common-sense advice for any would-be visitor to Iceland. “It is very advisable to train,” he says. “And by training I don't mean a daily eight-hour exercise, I just mean maybe doing some cardiovascular exercise once a week a few weeks before you come here. Some people would be amazed with how little they actually exercise. If you just sit in front of a computer all day, and then drive home, and you're not going to the gym, you're not really exercising that much. People underesti- mate that. Even if you're active in your life, you're not actually as active as you think you are.” In early 1943, observant Reykvík- ingar might have seen a naked man running past their window and even, on occasion, climbing up trees. Sightings were mostly in southeastern parts of town, with spotters ideally situated in base- ment apartments with windows facing the street. One such was a teenage girl living in Sjafnargata, close to the Leifur Eiriksson statue. At 9:30pm one evening, she saw the naked man on the street and did the only sensible thing, alerting the wres- tler living upstairs. Said wrestler, with the imposing name of Vagn (Wagon) Jóhannesson, leapt into action and raced into the street, where he saw a man with his pants around his ankles and his shirt drawn up towards his chest. As we can assume Vagn prac- tised the Icelandic form of wres- tling, this presented him with a problem, as the whole point of glíma is to grab people by the belt before throwing them down. Nev- ertheless, he gave chase while the naked man raced over garden walls and snow-filled streets. Finally, a struggle ensued, but the naked man held the advantage of giving his opponent little to hold on to. Police arrived on the scene and finally apprehended the man, who by then had been subdued by the wrestler. He was taken into custody and found to be an Amer- ican soldier, diagnosed as suf- fering from mental problems. Interestingly, he was arrested on February 14th, perhaps marking the first Valentine’s celebration in Iceland. To the press, he became known as the Reykjavík Tarzan. Words: Valur Gunnarsson 10 The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 05 — 2017 Reykjavík Tarzan Arrested For Nudity ANALYSIS BLAST FROM THE PAST Some wrestler, back in the day “When you're on vacation, you tend to do the thing you normally wouldn't do” How Not To Die In Iceland Cardiac and pulmonary events are the main cause of tourist deaths Dr. Sebastian Kunz at work in the Reykjavík morgue Don’t Fight the Power. Feel It. The exhibition is open every day from 9:00-17:00. Please direct any inquiries to exhibition@on.is Tel: (+354) 591 2880 www.geothermalexhibition.com Let’s see what some of the guests at our Geothermal Exhibition have to say on TripAdvisor about our clean energy production: “A must see activity”, “Bucket List”, “... interactive and inspiring”, “Now I’m impressed!” We hope to welcome you too on your trip to Iceland at the most powerful exhibition in the world.
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