When Johan Helberg said he wanted a waterfront view, he didn’t expect the waterfront to come to him complete with a 443-foot cargo ship.
Helberg awoke on Thursday to discover the massive bow of the NCL Salten resting a stone’s throw from his home in Byneset, Norway, near Trondheim.
The vessel had run aground in the early hours, narrowly missing Helberg’s house by approximately 16 feet.
The NCL Salten container ship is pictured adjacent to Johan Helberg’s home following the vessel’s grounding in Norway on Thursday. (Jan Langhaug/NTB Scanpix via AP)
The officer involved has been charged with negligent navigation. While there were no injuries or oil spills reported, the event did lead to slight damage to a heating pump wire on Helberg’s property.
And this isn’t NCL Salten’s first grounding. The ship previously ran aground in 2023, but managed to free itself without assistance.
Efforts to refloat the ship during high tide on Thursday were unsuccessful.
A massive container ship ran ashore in Norway, nearly hitting a house. (Jan Langhaug/NTB/AFP via Getty Images)
Geotechnical evaluations are being carried out by the Norwegian Coastal Administration ahead of making another attempt. NCL, the shipping company, has announced its cooperation with the investigation.
As for Helberg, he remains in good spirits despite the unexpected intrusion.
“It’s a very bulky new neighbor, but it will soon go away,” he quipped.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
