Woke Up to a Container Ship in the Backyard

Screenshot from Adresseavisen's live coverage at the scene.

On Thursday morning, Johan Helberg awoke to a highly unusual sight.

While most people wake up to birdsong or morning traffic, Helberg found a 135-meter-long container ship grounded just outside his window in Byneset, Trondheimsfjord.

The NCL Salten (IMO: 9252773) ran aground around 5:00 a.m. while en route to Orkanger, according to the Norwegian Coastal Administration.

There were a total of 16 crew members on board. No injuries or environmental damage have been reported.

An initial attempt to refloat the ship later that morning was unsuccessful.

A Close Call

Despite the vessel — capable of carrying over 11,000 tonnes of cargo — grounding just meters from his house, Helberg reportedly slept through the incident.

“We were woken up by the neighbor banging on the door,” Helberg shared in an interview with NRK.

That neighbor, Jostein Jørgensen, witnessed the grounding firsthand.

“It was surreal. I never thought something like this would happen,” he told NRK.

The only reported property damage by Helberg was a severed cable connected to Helberg’s heat pump.

“If the ship had struck just five meters further to the right, it could have hit my house directly,” Helberg added.

Investigation Ongoing

Police have launched an investigation and conducted initial interviews with the crew. As of now, there is no indication that intoxication played a role in the incident.

The NCL Salten was traveling at approximately 16 knots (about 30 km/h) when it veered off course for reasons yet to be determined.

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Not the First Time

According to VG, this is not the first time NCL Salten has run aground.

In October 2023, the ship grounded in Tømmervika in Hadsel but was able to free itself without assistance.

The ship, owned by North Sea Container Line, is currently carrying between 200 and 300 containers with various goods.

The company says its primary focus is to safely refloat the vessel and maintain communication with customers.