It was at 08:00 on Monday that the police received the message on the international emergency and call channel Kanal 16:
A darkened shark was heading south under the Tromsø Bridge – and the tip was that the shark had collided with a bridge vessel on the bridge that connects Tromsø to the mainland.
Couldn’t get in touch
It was not possible to make contact with the skipper, and the boat was not visible on the tracking and anti-collision system AIS (automatic identification system).
The coast guard ship “KV Farm” happened to be docked in Tromsø. A light boat was launched and a tow was rigged to keep the 12-foot fishing boat away from land, the bridge and other vessels, and bring it safely to shore.
According to skipper Bård Alexander Raunlid on KV “Farm”, the conditions were demanding, with a strong current and a lot of wind in addition.
– Then a vessel moves very fast, and a tow can be challenging. But we worked quickly and got the barge to the dock, says Raunlid to TV 2.
Fire and intoxication
The barge skipper is said to have appeared visibly drunk, and was taken to the police station for sampling after the boat docked.
But while the skipper was with the police, smoke was reported from the barge. The fire brigade moved out and put out a smoldering fire in a storage room on board.
TAKE CONTROL: Crews from both the Coast Guard, the police and the fire service believe when a shark had to be towed ashore in Tromsø on Monday. Photo: KV “Farm”
There should be no question of personal injuries – but the skipper was told to go to bed, and preferably not to go on a boat trip in the first place, according to in Tromsø. The police state that a report has been made into the incident.
