Tourist Dies After Replica of Viking Ship Sinks Off the Coast of Norway

A tourist died this week after the replica Viking ship she was sailing on capsized in rough seas about 60 miles off the west coast of Norway. The ship's five other passengers were rescued and her body was later found near the scene.

The woman, whose name was not disclosed, Agence France Presse He was reportedly an American citizen in his 20s, part of an expedition from the Faroe Islands to Norway in an attempt to recreate a journey similar to one undertaken by Vikings more than 1,000 years ago. But on Tuesday evening, on the fourth day of the journey, the 30-foot Naddoddur, powered only by sails and oars, hit waves up to 16 feet high in winds of up to 40 knots, prompting the crew to send out a distress signal.

The Mayday call was initially dismissed as a false alarm when boats and a helicopter arrived on the scene and found nothing, but a wider rescue operation was launched after the boat's passengers sent a second call just an hour later. The ship's five survivors managed to get into an inflatable life raft and were later airlifted to safety by helicopter.

A woman's body was recovered from the area near where the ship sank on Wednesday morning.

The Norwegian Maritime Rescue Association released a video on Tuesday showing the high waves and turbulent waters of the area where the ship sank.

“The rescue boat 'Idar Ulstein' is currently at the location where the Viking ship capsized west of Stad,” the agency wrote. “We are monitoring the ship and doing our best to rescue it, but weather conditions are making this very challenging.”

The expedition was reportedly delayed for several days due to bad weather conditions.

Bergur Jacobsen, president of the Naddoddur boat club in the Faroe Islands, said: BBC He said the ship had previously made trouble-free voyages to places like Iceland, Shetland and Norway. “This is not a Viking boat, it is a Faroese fishing boat with no engine but sails,” Jacobsen explained, but declined to comment further pending an ongoing investigation.

Ahead of the trip, Livar Nysted, a crew member from the Faroe Islands, said that when sailing in a storm, “you just try to do the best you can.” “It's an open boat. You sleep under the stars and you can feel the weather when it's raining or windy,” he noted.

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