A woman died and five other people were rescued after a replica Viking ship capsized off Norway’s west coast overnight, authorities said Wednesday.
Police said a woman was found dead in the water near the sunken vessel, but did not provide information on her identity or nationality.
Norwegian media said she was a US citizen in her 20s.
“Five people have been picked up and are safe and sound,” the emergency services wrote on X.
Helicopters, rescue boats and several nearby vessels battled high waves and strong winds overnight in the rescue effort.
The 30-foot open Viking ship, powered only by sails and oars, had sent out a Mayday call earlier in the evening, but when boats and a helicopter arrived at the scene, the call was deemed to have been a false alarm. That’s what Verdens Gang (VG) said daily..
An hour later it sent another mayday call and this time a major rescue operation was launched.
The Norwegian coast guard vessel KV Bergen eventually found the boat, VG reported.
The five rescued were winched up by helicopter from a life raft. They were
wearing life jackets when they were picked up, says a spokesperson for the police to VG.
The tragedy occurred approximately 60 miles off the west coast of Norway. Henrikke Zachariassen, spokesman for a rescue company that helped in the search, tells VG that there were up to 15-foot high waves and strong winds in the search area on Tuesday evening. A video posted by VG showed a rescue boat navigating choppy seas and rain in the dark.
According to VG, the wooden vessel was on its way from the Faroe Islands to Ålesund in Norway when the accident occurred.
VG said those on board were adventurers from the Faroe Islands, Switzerland and the United States attempting a journey similar to one the Vikings would have made more than 1,000 years ago.
The event comes just days after a luxury superyacht sank off the coast of Sicilykills British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter, along with five other people.