August 28th 2024.
Karla Dana, a 29-year-old archaeologist from Florida, tragically lost her life on Tuesday evening when the Viking ship replica she was aboard capsized and sank off the west coast of Norway. The Naddoddur boat, which was part of the 'Viking Voyage' expedition, began taking in water and eventually went under, according to the team and local broadcaster KVF.
Dana was one of six adventurers on board, including skipper and expedition leader Andy Fitze, Livar Nysted, Saeny Blaser, Georg Aebi, and Martin Fitze. They were all rescued on a raft, but sadly Dana did not survive. The survivors, who are from Switzerland and the Faroe Islands, were unharmed physically but were understandably shaken and received support from a crisis team.
The voyage had started smoothly on Saturday, departing from Tvøroyri in the Faroe Islands. However, on Tuesday around 6pm, the rough seas forced the explorers to call for help off the coast of the Norwegian island of Måløy, as reported by the Faroe Islands-based news outlet Local.fo.
A search and rescue mission from Norway was able to locate the sunken Naddoddur and save five of the adventurers. Unfortunately, it was too late for Dana, whose body was found trapped under the boat hours later. An autopsy and police investigation are expected to take place.
The expedition was meant to honor the legendary Viking navigator Naddodd, who had accidentally been blown off course in the late 8th century. Fitze had described it as an "unforgettable event that takes you back to the time of the Vikings" on Facebook before setting sail, according to Local.fo. He also stated that the journey of approximately 500 nautical miles would push the boundaries of navigational expeditions.
The boat itself was named after Naddodd and was owned by the Naddoddur boat club. Its chairman, Berger Jacobsen, told BBC that the replica had previously sailed to Norway, Iceland, and Shetland.
Dana was one of two women on the Viking Voyage expedition. Fitze had expressed that they wanted to honor and carry on the spirit of determination and pioneering shown by the Vikings. The team's goal was to complete Naddodd's original journey from Norway to the Faroe Islands. It's a shame that it ended in tragedy, but Dana's memory and the spirit of the expedition will surely live on.
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