Swedes, Norwegians and Danes were all victims of river-related drownings, in what proved to be a deadly weekend for outdoor recreationists in Scandinavia. Norway and Denmark were the sites of at least five deaths from boating accidents and hiking mishaps.
Two 63 year-old Danes from the town of Herning were on holiday along the west Jutland coast near Torsminda when they were dragged underwater by a powerful undertow in the North Sea. Witnesses say the couple was swimming normally in the sea when they were suddenly pulled under. Observers tried to save the elderly couple, but it was in vain.
Another incident happened in Norway’s Telemark region when a boat carrying a 38 year-old Swedish man and his 9 year-old Danish daughter capsized in a swollen river near Hjartdal. Search parties have been scouring the area along the river, but so far the two bodies have not been found due to the churning power of the river’s water. Officer Bjorn Olav Eilefstjonn stated to the Norway Post that the chances of finding them alive are “slim.”
Further tragedy befell a 22 year-old Norwegian hiker, who was swept away while trying to cross another flood-swollen river near Rogaland over the weekend. The Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE) has issued a stern warning to people not to underestimate the deadly power of Norway’s rivers when they are running high and fast.
The full article can be found on the Norway Post.