Overview

• The girl and her family were struck by a sudden sneaker wave on August 2 at Reynisfjara; the father and older sister reached shore but the nine-year-old was carried out to sea
• An Icelandic Coast Guard helicopter conducted a two-hour search before locating the unresponsive child, who later died after being taken to hospital
• Reynisfjara has seen six fatalities and twelve serious incidents since 2006 despite multilingual warning signs and a 2022 light-based hazard alert system
• South Iceland police have opened an investigation into the circumstances of the drowning
• Authorities have announced no revisions to existing hazard protocols, leaving warning systems unchanged