In a baffling turn of events, a container ship ended up crashing into an unsuspecting person’s front yard after the vessel’s watch officer fell asleep on duty.
It’s not unheard of for cars or trucks to occasionally crash into someone’s home or business, but one homeowner in central Norway was stunned to see an entire ship in his garden at 5 AM.
The owner of the home, which sits on the edge of the Trondheim Fjord, says he had to crane his neck to see the top of the 135 meters-tall ship (443 feet).
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“It was so unreal,” he said in a statement to The Guardian.
Ship crashes into unsuspecting homeowner’s garden as officer falls asleep
The vessel in question was a container ship named the NCL Salten, flying flags from Cyprus and manned by a crew of 16 people. It was sailing southwest through the Fjord, on May 22, headed to Orkanger, when it started to drift off its course.
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After a police investigation, it was revealed that the Salten’s watch officer, a man in his 30s from the Ukraine, had fallen asleep during his shift, resulting in the ensuing accident.
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“The individual charged was the officer on watch at the time of the incident,” authorities with the Trøndelag Police District said to the press, adding that “During questioning, he stated that he fell asleep while on duty alone, which led to the vessel running aground.”
YouTube: Times NewsThe NCL Salten ran aground right in one homeowner’s garden.
The man was charged with negligent navigation, and police are also looking into the rules regarding work and proper rest hours amongst the crew members. According to Norwegian law, violations of regulations on entry into Norway’s territorial waters can result in a fine or imprisonment up to one year.
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The home’s owner, Johan Helberg, was able to find humor in the situation, despite the ship only missing his home by a mere five meters, as per the BBC.
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“It’s a very bulky new neighbor, but it will soon go away,” he said to local news outlet TV2.
YouTube: Times NewsThe watch officer has been charged with negligent navigation and could face a fine and prison time.
His son expressed similar sentiments, saying, “I didn’t know if I was dreaming because it was five in the morning and it was so surreal.”
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Oddly enough, this isn’t the first time this particular container ship has run aground. The vessel reportedly beached in 2023 as well, although its crew was able to free it back into the water.