Video: Man sleeps as giant container ship runs aground in his yard
A Norwegian man woke up to find a giant cargo ship grounded just feet from his home. (Source: Associated Press)
When Johan Helberg expressed a desire to have a waterfront view, he didn't expect that waterfront to include a 443-foot cargo ship.
Helberg woke up on Thursday to see the huge bow of the NCL Salten just steps from his home in Byneset, Norway, near Trondheim.
The ship ran aground early in the morning, narrowly missing Helberg's home by just 16 feet.
Johan Helberg stands next to his home with the container ship NCL Salten in the background after the 443-foot vessel ran aground in the Trondheimsfjord, near Byneset, in Trondheim, Norway, on Thursday. (Jan Langhaug/NTB Scanpix via AP)
Remarkably, Helberg claimed to have slept through the entire incident, and only learned of the unexpected occurrence when a concerned neighbor knocked on his door.
“I went to the window and was very surprised to see a large ship,” Helberg told The Guardian. “I had to bend my neck to see the top of it. It was completely surreal.”
Authorities discovered that the ship's duty officer, a 30-year-old Ukrainian citizen, fell asleep at his post, causing the ship to deviate from its course.
The container ship NCL Salten is seen near the home of Johan Helberg after the huge vessel ran aground in Norway on Thursday. (Jan Langhaug/NTB Scanpix via AP)
The officer was charged with negligent operation of the vessel. No injuries or oil spills were reported, but the incident caused minor damage to a heat pump cable on the Helberg property.
And this is not the first time that NCL Salten has run aground. The ship ran aground previously in 2023, but was able to free itself without outside assistance.
Attempts to free the vessel from the shallows during high tide on Thursday were unsuccessful.
A huge container ship runs aground in Norway, narrowly missing a house. (Jan Langhaug/NTB/AFP via Getty Images)
The Norwegian Coastal Administration is conducting geotechnical assessments ahead of a new attempt. Shipping company NCL said it was cooperating with the investigation.
As for Helberg, he remains positive despite the unexpected intrusion.
“It's a very bulky new neighbor, but it will soon disappear,” he joked.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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