It was on Friday that a tourist boat in Lofoten suddenly capsized after a wave struck it. A sea rescuer died during the rescue work and a Swedish girl in middle school age is still missing.
A Swedish party with four adults and two children were on board along with a Norwegian sports fishing guide.
”Extrem bad luck”
The weather was not optimal but according to our assessment not near to being any danger. There were several smaller boats out at the same time. Extreme bad luck or a fault on the boat, we do not know, says Jimmy Andersson, CEO of the company Nordic Sea Angling.
The company arranges guided fishing tours in Norway and according to Jimmy Andersson it is the first time something like this happens. He was not himself on site but has had the incident recounted by the guide who was on board.
As I have been explained, it was a large wave that came from behind which set speed on the boat. The boat then turned starboard and then capsized, he says.
Cancelled tours
The boat has been salvaged and now the Norwegian police and maritime directorate will investigate if there could have been something wrong with the boat. The tours that were planned with that boat during the autumn have been cancelled.
Our thoughts go to the relatives of the rescuer who died and to the family who were on the boat. Our guide has been offered crisis support and I am travelling up tomorrow to gather all staff, says Jimmy Andersson.
The child who has not yet been found, a girl in middle school age, is being searched for in a large operation that has been ongoing since Friday afternoon.
