WATCH: Massive glacier collapse causes tourists to flee

Stephan Mantler, a mountain guide and Icelandic tour operator, captured the whole collapsing glacier on camera as tourists fled the huge wave. Pic: YouTube

Stephan Mantler, a mountain guide and Icelandic tour operator, captured the whole collapsing glacier on camera as tourists fled the huge wave. Pic: YouTube

Published Apr 8, 2019

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Tourists in Iceland were filmed fleeing to higher ground as a massive wave triggered by a glacier collapse came rushing their way.

Stephan Mantler, a mountain guide and owner of Icelandic tour company Hafjall, captured the whole ordeal on camera. 

Watch as tourists flee to escape the massive wave caused by the glacier collapsing:

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CNN reported that tourists were admiring the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier in Vatnajökull National Park in southeastern Iceland, an area that is only accessible with a trained mountaineer.

Mantler said that he heard the cracking from the far-off glacier, which is a sign that a glacier calving-  the natural process in which a large section of ice breaks away.

With his client safe, he pulled out his phone and started recording, but kept his eye on the other group of tourists below.

Mantler I could see all of the tourist starting to move out of harm's way so he kept recording whilst keeping a watchful eye on people's movements.

 

In the video, you can hear rumbling that sounds like thunder as the pieces of the glacier crash into the water below. People start running to higher ground as waves approach them.

"While calvings are fairly frequent at this time of the year, this was an extraordinarily large event and much closer to the shore than usual, which is why it was such a close call," said Mantler. "In the end, most importantly, nobody got hurt or even wet."

He said everyone is briefed about what to do in case of calvings before they head out on their adventure.

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