Guðlaugur Friðþórsson
Guðlaugur Friðþórsson (born 24 September 1961) is an Icelandic fisherman who survived six hours in cold water after his fishing vessel had capsized and furthermore trekked, for another three hours, across lava fields to reach a town for help in freezing conditions. Sequence of events On 11 March 1984, Guðlaugur and four other fishermen were fishing near the Westman Islands when their boat, which was engaging in fishing and carrying trenchers to another village, capsized at about 10 p.m. It is suspected that the weight of the trenchers was miscalculated, causing the boat to be more susceptible to turbulent ocean conditions. During the sinking of their boat, off the coast of Heimaey in Vestmannaeyjar, Guðlaugur and two out of four other companions climbed on to the keel. After about 45 minutes, they swam towards the shore, yet the other two disappeared within 10 minutes. The only survivor of the crew of five, Guðlaugur swam for five to six hours in water the to the island, wearing a shirt, sweater and jeans, guided by a lighthouse. He remained clear-headed throughout. Reaching the shore of Heimaey, Guðlaugur found himself at the most dangerous section of the island's coastline, due mainly to the