Crew member charged over ship that 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 on Thursday morning. No oil spills were reported, and none of the 16 people aboard were injured.
Advertisement
Resident Johan Helberg told Norwegian broadcaster NRK that he had slept through the whole thing and only woke up when a neighbour started ringing his doorbell.
The ship ran aground in the Trondheimsfjord, Trondheim, Norway (Jan Langhaug/NTB via AP)
Images show the ship's red and green bow a matter of feet away from Mr 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 Sorensen said in a statement.
Crews on Monday continued to take containers off the ship so it could be more easily removed from the area.
Advertisement
NCL, the shipping company, said it was cooperating with investigators.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Telegraph
British men held in Norway over £1.5m haul of silver coins
Two British men have been imprisoned after transporting £1.5 million in silver coins across a Norwegian city. Samuel Cook, a 31-year-old father of one, and an unnamed former Royal Marine are being held in a high-security Norwegian prison, accused of money laundering. Last month, they were hired by a UK-based company to move 500kg of silver coins between two locations in Oslo, according to Mr Cook's family. The pair, who did not know each other before the job, were on their way to drop off the package when they were stopped by police and arrested on suspicion of aggravated robbery. A month on, Mr Cook, from Exeter in Devon, and his companion remain in the Ringerike prison. On May 22, police successfully appealed to keep them detained for a month longer, according to Mr Cook's father. 'It was legal and above board' He said the pair, who deny any wrongdoing, did not know why they were being held and thought they had been employed to transport goods. Odd Martin Helleland, Mr Cook's solicitor, confirmed that the 31-year-old had been charged with negligent money laundering. Mr Helleland said Oslo district court felt there was 'reasonable ground for suspicion' and detained him for a further four weeks. Steve Cook, Samuel Cook's father and a Royal Marine from Exeter, said: 'I got a phone call four weeks ago saying they have been stopped by police. 'As far as Samuel and his co-worker were concerned, it was all legal and above board. The role is to do secure deliveries and escort people, but you don't really know your mission until you arrive.' He said they had been hired as couriers 'in good faith' at a rate of £250 a day for three days, adding: 'Who would risk prison for £750?' The pair were hired on April 21 by an unnamed company, which contacted their workplace. Their transport and accommodation were arranged for them, Steve Cook said. They then flew out to Oslo from Heathrow, but were arrested on April 22. 'Negligent money laundering' He said the British embassy informed him this week that the reason for their detention was now considered alleged 'negligent money laundering' rather than robbery. The pair appeared at a hearing at Oslo district court with solicitors last Thursday, when they were told they would be detained for another month. Translated court documentation said it was deemed highly probable that the silver coins were proceeds of illegal activity. The Court of Appeal argued that the circumstances suggested that the two 'most likely understood' that the coins may have been obtained through criminal offences. But Mr Cook Sr said his son, who is registered disabled due to having bipolar disorder, ADHD and depression, had no criminal record and would not knowingly commit a crime. A Foreign Office spokesman said: 'We are supporting two British men detained in Norway and are in contact with the local authorities.' The Norwegian Correctional Service said it was 'prohibited by law from disclosing information about individual inmates'. A spokesman for Oslo police said: 'This case has been transferred to the National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime [Okokrim].' The state prosecutor Jon André Hvoslef-Eide, of Okokrim, said: 'We can confirm that the arrests are linked to an investigation in Norway. The investigation is ongoing and we therefore have no further comments.'
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Two Brits are held in Norwegian prison accused of money laundering after they were hired to move £1.5million of silver coins across Oslo
Two British men are being held in the same high-security Norwegian prison as mass murderer Anders Breivik after being accused of money laundering. Dad-of-one Samuel Cook, 31, and another man, yet to be named but understood to be a former Royal Marine, were transporting £1.5million of silver coins while working as close protection officers. The pair were hired by a UK-based company to move the 500kg load across Oslo but were stopped by police on their way to drop off the huge trove. They were then arrested on suspicion of aggravated robbery, according to Samuel's dad, Steve Cook, 54. For more than a month, the duo who usually deliver goods or protect high-profile individuals have been locked up in high-security Ringerike Prison - famous for housing Neo-Nazi killer Anders Breivik. The mass murderer killed 77 people, mostly teenagers, in Norway in 2011 after he went on a bombing and shooting rampage at a summer youth camp. The protection officers are now set to stay for another four weeks in the terrifying compound after local police successfully appealed to hold them for longer last Thursday. Alongside the Exeter-local and the Marine, around 160 long-term and high risk prisoners are normally housed in Ringerike Prison which is surrounded by a 7metre high wall. Translated Oslo District Court documentation claimed it was deemed highly probable that the silver coins were proceeds of illegal activity. The Court of Appeal argued the circumstances suggest that Samuel and his colleague 'most likely understood' that the coins may have been obtained through criminal offences. But Steve and wife Sarah Cook, 50, said the men have no idea why they have been held, believing it was a simple, straightforward job to transport goods. The 'distraught' parents added that Samuel - who is registered disabled due to having bipolar disorder, ADHD and depression - has no criminal record, and would not knowingly commit a crime. 'As far as Samuel and his co-worker were concerned, it was all legal, and above board,' the terrified father said. 'The role is to do secure deliveries and escorting people but you don't really know your mission until you arrive. 'They were hired as couriers in good faith. 'We don't think they've been charged but it's been a month and they haven't been released. 'Apparently they were first arrested for aggravated burglary. 'They were getting £250 a day, for three days. Who would risk prison for £750?' Samuel's solicitor, Odd Martin Helleland confirmed his client has been charged with negligent money laundering and was further detained because Oslo District Court felt there was 'reasonable ground for suspicion'. The pair were hired on April 21 by a company who contracted their workplace, and their transport and accommodation was arranged for them, Steve says. They flew out to Oslo from Heathrow soon after, and were arrested on 22nd April. Steve said the British Embassy this week informed him the reason for their detention is now considered alleged 'negligent money laundering' rather than robbery. It is understood the two men were not known to each other before taking on the assignment. Samuel's family said they have spoken to their son a handful of times since he was detained and he seemed ok but was lacking sleep. Breivik was sentenced to 21 years in jail, the harshest penalty possible under Norwegian law, for killing 77 people in a bomb and gun attack in July 2011 (pictured are victims of the attack) A FCDO (Foreign Office) Spokesperson said: 'We are supporting two British men detained in Norway and are in contact with the local authorities'. The Norwegian Correctional Service said it is 'prohibited by law from disclosing information about individual inmates'. A spokesperson for Oslo Politidistrikt - the Oslo police - said: 'This case has been transferred to the National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime (Økokrim).' State prosecutor Jon André Hvoslef-Eide, of Økokrim said: 'We can confirm that the arrests are linked to an investigation in Norway.
The Independent
4 days ago
- The Independent
A cargo ship that ran aground in Norway, narrowly missing a house, is being towed to a nearby harbor
A cargo ship that ran aground in a Norwegian fjord and narrowly missed a house, was pulled back into open water and was being towed to a nearby harbor on Tuesday — five days after the spectacular accident. A tugboat hauled and refloated the NCL Salten off the shore of the Trondheim fjord in the morning hours. The vessel was being taken to the nearby harbor of Orkanger. Norwegian broadcaster NRK quoted Ole T. Bjørnevik, the general manager of the tugboat company tasked with the refloating operation, as saying that it 'went better than expected.' Containers had been unloaded from the ship ahead of the refloating. The ship ran aground early last Thursday. No oil spills were reported, and none of the 16 people aboard was injured. The on-duty navigator, the ship's second officer, has been charged with negligent navigation after he allegedly fell asleep on duty.
