Residents of Byneset, a peaceful area near Trondheim, Norway, were shaken awake on the morning of 22 May when a large cargo vessel ran aground alarmingly close to a residential home. The 135-metre-long ship, named NCL Salten, veered off course around 5 a.m. as it navigated the Trondheim Fjord en route to Orkanger.
The vessel came to a stop mere metres from the home of Johan Helberg. Remarkably, Helberg had been asleep during the incident and only realised what had happened when his neighbour urgently rang his doorbell and called his phone.
“I opened the door and just froze. There was this massive ship in my backyard,” Helberg recounted. “If it had gone even slightly further south, it could’ve smashed into my bedroom.”
Neighbour’s Quick Thinking
Jostein Jørgensen, a nearby resident, was the first to notice the cargo ship’s dangerously close approach to shore. “I heard something unusual and looked out. That’s when I saw the ship heading straight toward the coast,” Jørgensen said. He tried to alert Helberg by repeatedly ringing his doorbell and then calling him directly.
“It was surreal. You don’t expect to see a ship that size right outside someone’s house.”
No Injuries, but Serious Concerns
According to Norwegian Coastal Line (NCL), 16 crew members were on board Salten at the time of the grounding. Fortunately, no injuries were reported and the ship did not collide directly with the house. Still, the emotional toll on Helberg and the surrounding community has been significant.
Authorities are currently investigating the cause of the incident, with early findings pointing to potential human error. It is believed that the officer on duty may have fallen asleep while navigating.
Investigation Underway
The shipping company has confirmed its full cooperation with investigators. “We are working closely with authorities to understand what went wrong and to evaluate any necessary safety measures,” said NCL’s managing director. “Our priority is to ensure such incidents do not happen again.”
Assessments are also being carried out to determine the extent of the vessel’s damage.
A Bizarre Wake-Up Call
Helberg, who narrowly avoided a major catastrophe, remains shaken by the event but has managed to find some humour in the bizarre situation. “It’s not every day you wake up to a ship in your backyard,” he said.
As officials continue to examine the near-miss, residents of Byneset are left reflecting on how narrowly disaster was averted — and the risks that can come from the sea, even in the calmest of coastal towns.
Watch the video here:
@c4news A Norwegian man who was asleep in is home on the edge of a fjord had a lucky escape when a huge cargo ship ran aground a few metres from his house. Johan Helberg was eventually woken up by a neighbour insistently ringing on his doorbell to alert him to the fact that the 135-metre-long vessel had embedded itself in nearby rocks. Local police from near Trondheim are trying to establish why the it ran aground but said there was no suspicion that drugs or alcohol were involved. #Norway #CargoShip #C4News #Channel4News
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