HEEDING THE CALL

From searching for missing persons to towing vehicles out of rivers, a volunteer search and rescue association in Iceland keeps both residents and tourists safe

- Wayne Lim

As rain poured in 5 deg C weather, five Chinese tourists found themselves stranded in a river in the southern highlands of Iceland. Their rented four-wheel-drive Kia had veered off a designated river crossing and its undercarriage got caught on a rock, which left its wheels lifted slightly off the ground.

The nearest town was a two-hour drive away. Cold, wet and scared, they used the vehicle's SOS button to call for help. Help arrived about 30 minutes later.

Clad in neon green, red and blue, a team of five ferried the shivering tourists to the nearby Landmannalaugar campsite to warm up and, with backup, spent about two hours dislodging, then towing the car out of the river.

At the end of their duty week, the rescue workers would return to their full-time jobs - as kindergarten teachers, electricians, tour guides and cargo handlers, among others.

They are among more than 4,000 active volunteers from the Icelandic Association for Search and Rescue (ICE-SAR) who are always on standby to respond to emergencies in the country.

"Tourists are always surprised to hear that we don't get paid," said pre-school teacher Jona Ragnarsdottir, 32. "It's a strong testament to Icelandic people. We just do it voluntarily because we like it and we want to help."

The volunteers also do not mind paying for their personal gear, such as backpacks and uniforms. Ms Ragnarsdottir, for instance, has spent some 700,000 Icelandic kronur (S$6,600) to buy her own equipment over the past two years as a volunteer.

"For me, it's not about the money. It's the company, it's the trips we go on, and I love the outdoors. It all comes together," she said.

Every summer, the nation's 93 rescue teams take turns patrolling the highlands on week-long shifts as part of an initiative set up by ICE-SAR in 2005.