Man Obliterated by Wave at Iceland’s Deadliest Beach (Video)

Originally posted on SURFER | By Dashel Pierson | Last updated Oct 13, 2025 2:52 PM ET

Raw, rugged, and frigid. That’s the allure of Iceland, both from a surfing perspective – with its righthand pointbreaks beneath snowcapped mountains – and a civilian tourism mentality.

But amidst the winter wonderland of the Nordic island nation, there are dangers lurking. Particularly at a beach called Reynisfjara, a popular destination for visitors in the south of the island with its black sand, dramatic cliffs, and powerful open-ocean waves.

One man, recently, experienced the perils of Reynisfjara when he posed for a photo, perched atop one of the seaside ledges, with the backdrop of the raging ocean. A rogue wave snuck up behind him during the photoshoot, and swallowed the man whole.

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A local photographer captured footage of the incident, captioning the clip: “Crazy that some people risk their lives for a photo.”

Indeed, this beach has taken lives.

Just recently, in August, a 9-year-old German girl drowned at Reynisfjara, when she and her family were exploring a cave, and a sneaker wave inundated the rock cavern. Two Estonian tourists were at the beach at the time of the incident, and speaking with local news, they recounted:

"They seem to have become trapped in this cave, the father and his daughters, and when the tide filled the cave, it took the younger girl with it."

Tragic.

And that wasn’t the first time a fatality occurred on this popular, yet extremely dangerous, stretch of Icelandic black sand. On Guide to Iceland, a tourist information blog, previous deaths are detailed, while also giving the warning:

“The waves here are so sneaky, they come creeping up on you and suck you in if you are standing too close - nothing can be done to save people if this happens - so please be extremely careful if you visit these beaches, and never turn your back to the sea and the waves.”

This article first appeared on SURFER and was syndicated with permission.

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