US grandma who posed for photo on an iceberg in Iceland had to be rescued when she floated out to sea
(WASHINGTON POST) – A 77-year-old grandmother lived out her dreams of royalty when she climbed atop a throne-shaped iceberg during a recent trip to Iceland.
Judith Streng, from Texas, struck a regal pose on a hunk of ice that washed up on Diamond Beach in Jökulsárlón, while her son snapped a picture.
It was a moment of triumph for the magnificent “iceberg queen,” as she was later dubbed.
That is, until a sudden wave dislodged the icy throne – sending grandmother adrift.
“When I got on it, it started to totter and a wave was coming in,” Streng told ABC News.
“A very large wave came in and kind of made the throne kind of rock, and I could tell that I was slipping off.”
On Monday, Streng’s granddaughter, Christine, posted the texts and photos her father sent after the ordeal. Each photo shows Judith drifting further and further away from the camera.
“Lost her kingdom when she drifted out to see! (sic)” Christine’s father texted her. He added, “No joke. A coast guard rescuer had to save her and bring her back to shore!”
Photos of grandmother’s nautical adventure had garnered 66,000 retweets by Friday evening.
The daring grandmother told ABC News her rescuer was Randy Lacount, a boat captain from Florida who witnessed her float away. He did not immediately return a request for comment Monday evening.
“I thought it was safe,” Streng told ABC. “One girl had been on it and then two girls at the same time, and it was very secure with them. But I don’t weigh very much. So it was a little easier to float off with me, I guess.”
On her choice to sit on the throne, she told the network: “You know, I always wanted to be a queen. I mean, come on, that was my chance.”
Streng returned to the United States on Monday and is recuperating from her trip, Christine told The Post. While she was not available for interview, the elder Streng relayed to her granddaughter that she’s “glad people are getting a kick out of her story”.
“Being so popular is wild,” the grandmother added.
In a way, it’s royalty.
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