British tourists rescued from Norway sea after boat accident

CP1852653286
A boat picks up tourists from the water after an accident in Harstad harbour in Northern Norway, Thursday Feb. 16, 2017. Nearly two dozen people, mostly British tourists have been injured after a boating accident in the Norwegian coastal town of Harstad, local media report. The accident is believed to have happened when one of two small speedboats hit a water fountain installation. The fountain _ which sends water 60 meters into the air _ was not functioning at the time of the accident, according the Norwegian Aftenposten news site. (Gunnar Berg /NTB scanpix via AP)

STOCKHOLM – Eleven people, including 10 British tourists, have been injured after being thrown into frigid waters in a boating accident in northern Norway.

Two speedboats carrying a total of 24 people were returning from a sightseeing trip Thursday when one of the vessels struck a water fountain installation.

Nils Mehren, a local journalist who witnessed the accident from his office in the town of Harstad, said the boats were moving at high speeds and the impact threw people into the Norwegian Sea “like dolls.”

Ten passengers and the driver spent about 15 minutes in the 6-Celsius (42-Fahrenheit) water.

Three tourists suffered moderate injuries, seven minor injuries, police said, while the driver was thought to be in critical but stable condition.

Harstad is 1,403 kilometres (872 miles) north of Oslo.

News from © The Associated Press, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community?

Create a free account

The Associated Press

The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day.

Related Articles