Two people died after a boat accident in Nappstraumen in Lofoten on Maundy Thursday, according to multiple reports. The deceased were father and son; the father was 34 years old and the son was 8 years old, the police said. One person was taken to the hospital in Gravdal, Lofoten, while two others were sent by rescue helicopter to UNN in Tromsø, and both of those died, multiple reports indicate.
On April 2 just before 8 PM, police received a report of a capsized boat with three people on board a 'sjark', multiple reports state. Police reported at 19:47 on Thursday evening about a capsized boat at Flaget in Flakstad municipality, according to multiple reports. According to police, three people were involved, and the case was handled as a rescue operation. At 19:49, operations leader Thomas Jarnæs Coe reported that a rescue helicopter and rescue boat were sent to the site, and the Main Rescue Centre North Norway also reported a nearby boat was heading to the area, multiple reports indicate.
At 20:45, all three people were retrieved from the sea, the rescue leader said. One person was picked up by the rescue boat and taken to a quay, then met by ambulance and sent on, according to the rescue leader. Two others were picked up by the rescue helicopter and taken to Bodø, the rescue leader stated. According to the Main Rescue Centre, there were two adults and one child in the boat, with the child between 8 and 10 years old.
The uncle and brother of the deceased were also on board the boat and survived the accident, multiple reports indicate. Conditions were challenging during the rescue operation, with very cold temperatures, the rescue leader said. Earlier in the evening, the Main Rescue Centre reported fresh breeze in the area, and the three had managed to stay on the hull.
The 40-foot 'sjark' is located but has not yet been raised from the water; it is at about 20 meters depth, multiple reports state. Police have examined the boat using an underwater drone, according to multiple reports. The capsizing happened in Nappstraumen, where there is a large difference between high and low tide, multiple reports indicate. The capsized boat is currently floating upside down in the sea, and the Coastal Administration has been notified to handle it further, the rescue leader said.
The investigation into the accident is still ongoing, with several interrogations conducted but more remaining, the police said. The police have some idea about the cause but it is still too early to say anything certain. Based on information police have, conditions there can be challenging at times, and they are investigating if a 'brottsjø' (breaking wave) may have been a contributing cause.
Flakstad municipality has initiated crisis management for the week to follow up as needed, the mayor said.
This fatal incident follows other recent boat emergencies across Norway. On Monday evening, divers are on site in Fyrisån to make the boat M/S Trio float again, according to multiple reports. Police received a report at 01:08 about a boat sinking off Nord-Frøya, the police said. Emergency services and rescue helicopter are on their way out, multiple reports indicate. There were three people on board the capsized boat who have now managed to swim to a holme on the mainland; they are reported not injured but cold, the operations leader stated. Three fishermen were hoisted into a rescue helicopter after their boat sank Monday afternoon near Skjånes in Gamvik, multiple reports state. Emergency services in Alta responded to a report of a man in the sea from a capsized leisure boat, according to multiple reports. At 16:40, police reported the person was brought ashore by a boat, appears alert, and is being cared for by ambulance on site, the police said. The person was alone in the boat, and it is not suspected that there were others in the sea, according to police.
In Uppsala, the boat MS Trio has been a subject of municipal concern. At the end of February, Uppsala municipality decided to empty the boat Trio in Fyrisån to prevent it from sinking, as the owner could not do it themselves, multiple reports state. The boat MS Trio is a familiar blue-and-white vessel along the Fyrisån riverbank, according to research. Traces of leakage have been discovered on the boat, research indicates. The owner cannot fix the problems due to illness, research shows. The responsibility for the boat now falls on the municipality, research states.
A few weeks ago, Uppsala municipality began cleaning up the classic boat Trio, which risked sinking with environmentally hazardous material to the bottom of Fyrisån, research indicates. At the end of February, while Fyrisån was still frozen and holding the boat Trio in place, Uppsala municipality began cleaning up the boat, according to research. This was after the owner could not clean it up themselves, research shows. It is still unclear how far the municipality got in the actual cleanup, research states.
Authorities are now grappling with the aftermath of these incidents, which highlight the risks of boating in Norway's challenging waters. The exact cause of the fatal accident in Lofoten remains under investigation, with police examining whether breaking waves played a role. Meanwhile, the status of the MS Trio in Uppsala is uncertain, as conflicting reports exist about whether it has recently sunk or is merely at risk, affecting understanding of the environmental threat and cleanup urgency.
In unrelated sports news, August Mikkelsen was not interested in a new loan and wants to fight for playing time in Bodø/Glimt, according to Avisa Nordland. August Mikkelsen has had little playing time this season but says he now feels better physically, he stated. Bodø/Glimt's Danish talent Mikkel Bro Hansen has reportedly chosen SEG as his new agency, Fabrizio Romano reported.