Viral Photos Show American Tourist Getting Swept Out To Sea While Sitting On An Iceberg For A Picture

An American tourist got an unexpected trip out to sea during her trip to Iceland when she tried to pose for a photo on a giant beach-bound iceberg and accidentally got swept into the ocean.

The incident took place on the coast of Iceland, where American Judith Streng noticed a giant piece of ice that just happened to be shaped like a chair. As the New York Post reported, the Texas woman asked her son to take a picture and climbed atop the iceberg.

As Streng prepared for the picture, a wave pulled the iceberg into the ocean and it began to drift out away from shore. The entire sequence was captured by Judith’s granddaughter, Catherine, who later posted the adventure on Twitter.

Her pictures — and the humorous captions that went along with them — gained some viral attention this week as they spread across social media and were picked up by news outlets across the globe.

Streng was ultimately rescued by a coast guard boat that brought her back to shore, which her granddaughter apparently found hilarious.

“No joke. A coast guard rescuer had to save her and bring her back to shore!” the granddaughter wrote in one of the picture captions.

As the incident drew international attention, ABC News tracked down Judith Streng and got her to share the story. She explained that it looked like it would be fun to sit on the iceberg, but quickly realized just how dangerous it was to sit on a floating piece of ice so close to strong waves.

“When I got on it, it started to totter and a wave was coming in,” she said. “A very large wave came in and kind of made the throne kind of rock, and I could tell that I was slipping off.”

While Judith Streng’s unexpected adventure on an iceberg may have had a happy ending, officials in Iceland aren’t too keen on tourists failing to take proper safety precautions when exploring the country’s natural beauty. Back in January, police said that tourists out viewing the Northern Lights have been putting themselves at risk by failing to watch the road while they’re driving at night.

“Weather and road conditions are one thing but it also comes down to very problematic behavior with some tourist drivers,” said Akureyri Police Superintendent Johannes Sigfusson, via Sky News. “Like when hitting the brake on the middle of a road for a sudden photo opportunity, with little or no warning for following drivers.”