‘It was so unreal’: Norwegian man wakes to cargo ship in his garden

In the early hours of Thursday morning, a resident of Byneset, near Trondheim, Norway, experienced an extraordinary wake-up call when a 135-metre cargo ship ran aground in his front garden

The vessel, the NCL Salten, was en route to Orkanger when it veered off course in the Trondheim fjord, travelling at approximately 30 km/h. The ship narrowly missed the home of Johan Helberg, who was alerted to the incident by a neighbour. Upon looking out of his window, Helberg was astonished to see the massive ship’s bow just outside his house. He described the sight as “so unreal,” noting that he had to bend his neck to see the top of the ship.

The cargo ship had 16 crew members on board, including Norwegians, Lithuanians, Ukrainians, and Russians. Fortunately, no injuries or oil spills were reported. The local police have initiated an investigation into the incident, considering factors such as technical malfunction or human error. One crew member has been identified as a suspect, though this is being treated as a standard procedure.

The shipping company, North Sea Container Line (NCL), stated that there is no reason to believe the incident was intentional. Their primary focus remains on the well-being of those involved. Initial efforts to dislodge the Cyprus-registered ship were unsuccessful, with plans to attempt again during high tide later in the day.

Helberg, who has lived in his house for 25 years, expressed relief that the ship did not cause more significant damage. He remarked that if the vessel had struck a nearby rocky cliff, it could have lifted and hit the house hard. As it stands, the ship remains a temporary, albeit massive, addition to his garden.

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