When a massive 443 ft cargo ship crashed into Norwegian man’s garden, missing his bedroom by just few meters

A man in Norway had an unexpected wake-up call when a massive cargo ship ran aground and plowed into his front garden, missing his house by just a few metres, according to a report by the BBC.

The 135 metre (443 ft) ship crashed ashore around 5:00 a.m. local time (03:00 GMT) on Thursday in Byneset, near the city of Trondheim. Johan Helberg, the homeowner, was unaware of the incident until a panicked neighbour alerted him.

Talking to a TV channel, Helberg later recalled, "The doorbell rang at a time of day when I don’t usually like to answer. I went to the window and was quite astonished to see a big ship. I had to crane my neck to see the top of it—it was so unreal."


"If it had veered just five metres further south, it would have crashed into my bedroom. I didn’t hear a thing," he added.

According to the report, his neighbour Jostein Jorgensen was awakened by the sound of the ship barreling toward the shoreline. "I ran to Johan’s house thinking he’d already come outside—but there was no sign of life," Jorgensen told TV2. "I rang the doorbell many times and got no response. It was only when I called him on the phone that I managed to reach him."

The ship, a Cypriot-flagged cargo vessel named NCL Salten, had 16 crew members on board and was en route through the Trondheim Fjord to Orkanger when it veered off course. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.

Norwegian police are investigating the cause of the crash. The ship had previously run aground in 2023 but managed to refloat on its own, according to reports.

"It's a very bulky new neighbour—but it’ll soon be gone," Helberg said with a touch of dry humour.

NCL managing director Bente Hetland called it a "serious incident" and expressed relief that no one was hurt. “At present, we do not know what caused the incident and are awaiting the results of the ongoing investigation by the relevant authorities,” she said.