Container Ship Runs Aground Just Meters from Seaside Cabin Near Trondheim, Norway

The 135 meter-long container ship NCL Salten ran aground just seven meters from a cabin in Byneset, near Trondheim, Norway. The cabin’s owners were home at the time, fast asleep and only noticing the vessel in their front yard when the neighbors alerted them.

Johan Helberg woke up to the next door neighbor ringing his doorbell, only then seeing the giant ship outside the window.

“We slept just seven meters from where the bow is and didn’t hear a thing. There were rocks and seaweed scattered around, so the ship must have scraped along quite smoothly. We were lucky. If it had been on a slightly different course, it would have hit the house,” Helberg told media.

The 862 TEU feeder vessel was traveling approximately 16 knots when it ran aground. The Cyprus-registered ship had 16 crew members on board. An investigation into the cause of the incident is under way, Norwegian authorities have confirmed. 

A suspect has been identified and is being questioned, a spokesperson for the local police district said. Technical failure or human error are the likely causes with police saying there is no reason to believe the grounding was intentional.

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