Prosecutors have charged a cargo ship's crew member after the vessel ran aground in Norway
Norwegian prosecutors have charged a cargo ship's second officer with negligent navigation after he allegedly fell asleep on duty and the vessel ran aground, narrowly missing crashing into a home.
The ship, the NCL Salten, ran aground shortly before 6 a.m. Thursday. No oil spills were reported, and none of the 16 people aboard was injured.
Johan Helberg told Norwegian broadcaster NRK that he'd slept through the whole thing and only woke up when a neighbor started ringing his doorbell. Images show the ship's red and green bow just meters (yards) from Helberg's house along the Trondheim Fjord's coast.
The second officer, whose name was not made public, was the navigator on duty at the time of the grounding, prosecutor Kjetil Bruland Sørensen said in a statement.
Crews on Monday continued to take containers off the ship so it could be more easily removed from the area.
NCL, the shipping company, said it was cooperating with investigators.
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Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Deep sea diver wins nearly £1million compensation after losing his leg to a giant underwater hammer
A deep sea diver who lost his leg after he was crushed by a giant underwater hammer has won a £915,000 compensation payout. Veteran diver Allan Peacock, 55, suffered devastating injuries when he was crushed by heavy equipment while working from a cargo barge in pipe laying operations off the coast of India in 2011. A heavy pile - acting like a 'hammer' to nail another pile into the seabed - unexpectedly moved, sucking him between the two pieces of equipment and crushing his foot. Mr Peacock was able to hop and drag himself away and was treated in India before flying home to be treated in Newcastle. Despite the surgeon's 'exceptional' efforts, he ended up having to have a below-knee amputation. He miraculously returned to work on the seabed just 18 months later with the help of a special prosthetic leg, however, the mountain biking enthusiast fears becoming more disabled in later life and believes it is 'likely' he will be wheelchair-bound. Following the incident, Mr Peacock sued his former employer, Indian company Del Seatek India Private Limited, as well as the barge's operator, South Korean company Hyundai heavy Industries Company Ltd. His lawyers claimed that the work had been done in 'hazardously strong tides and with poor visibility' and that the piles were 'not sufficiently secured together.' After winning his case at the High Court, Mr Peacock has been awarded £765,866 in compensation from Del Seatek India Private Limited, having already received about £169,000 from Hyundai. The court heard Mr Peacock qualified in 1998 and was working as a saturation diver for Del Seatek when he was injured while working from a cargo barge in pipe laying operations in the Paradip area of India in November 2011. His barrister, Mark Chapman KC, said conditions were difficult, with poor visibility of only about a metre and a strong tide when he descended underwater in a dive basket to work at a depth of up to 30 metres. 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The basket had been removed to the surface and so the claimant had to await its return.' He was initially treated in India, before being moved to the Royal Victoria Infirmary, in Newcastle, where he had to have his below-knee amputation due to the lack of blood flow to the foot. Mr Chapman said the extent of his injury had been 'graphically revealed' to him and he was told without warning that amputation was required, which left him 'extremely shocked and quite emotional.' 'Following the accident, the claimant was absent from all/any work for a period of around 18 months,' he continued. 'However, he is a stoical, resourceful and determined individual. He was resolute in his ambition to return to his pre-accident work, having independently researched the regulatory position applicable to amputees and commercial diving operations. 'The claimant has managed to return to work in a field which is very demanding with the use of prostheses provided by the NHS.' 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The sum includes awards of £150,000 for lost earnings and £681,000 to pay for prostheses and equipment, as well as smaller sums to cover the extra cost of first class seats while flying back and forth to work and to mark the care he received from his wife, Samantha Vincent. Speaking afterwards, Mr Peacock's solicitor Simon O'Loughlin, of Irwin Mitchell, said: 'What Allan went through was very traumatic, but he's shown such bravery and resilience to get to where he is today. To see him get back out working as a professional diver after such a serious injury is nothing short of incredible. He's truly an inspiration. 'It's been a privilege to get to know him and I hope that the settlement will be able to provide him with some closure as well as help fund any future treatment and support he requires and deserves.' Mr Peacock added: 'Not for one minute did I ever expect to be back doing what I love after what happened to me. However I knew that my only options were to sit back and let my injury define me or take back my life – I chose the latter and I'm so glad I did. 'It took me a while to regain my confidence in the water, but I'm so proud of how far I've come. I've also had amazing support which I'm very grateful for. 'I wouldn't wish what I've been through on anyone, but I hope that I can show that there is life after such serious injury.'
Daily Mail
9 hours ago
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Madeleine McCann suspect suffered broken rib in prison assault by inmate: Jail beating revealed as Christian Brueckner gives first interview... while new police dig for clues begins in Portugal
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BreakingNews.ie
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