A woman died and five other people were rescued after a replica Viking ship capsized off Norway’s west coast overnight, authorities said Wednesday.
Police said a woman was found dead in the water near the sunken ship, but provided no information about her identity or nationality.
Norwegian media reported she was a U.S. citizen in her 20s.
“Five people have been rescued and are safe and sound,” the emergency services wrote on X.
Helicopters, rescue boats and several nearby vessels battled high waves and strong winds overnight during the rescue operation.
The 30-foot open Viking ship, powered only by sails and oars, had sent out a distress call earlier in the evening, but when boats and a helicopter arrived at the scene the call was deemed a false alarm, the Verdens Gang (VG) daily reported.
An hour later, another distress call was made and this time a large rescue operation was launched.
The Norwegian coastguard vessel KV Bergen eventually found the boat, VG reported.
The five rescued people were lifted by helicopter from a lifeboat.
They were wearing life jackets when they were picked up, a police spokesperson told VG.
The tragedy occurred about 96 km off the west coast of Norway. Henrikke Zachariassen, a spokesman for a rescue company that took part in the search, told VG that there were waves of up to 4.5 metres high and strong winds in the search area on Tuesday night. A video released by VG shows a rescue boat sailing through rough seas and rain at night.
According to VG, the wooden ship was en route from the Faroe Islands to Ålesund in Norway when the accident occurred.
VG said those on board were adventurers from the Faroe Islands, Switzerland and the United States who were attempting a journey similar to one the Vikings would have made more than 1,000 years ago.
The incident comes just days after a luxury Superyacht sank off Sicilykilling a British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter, along with five other people.
