US Archaeologist Dies Drowning After Replica Of The Viking Ship He Was Traveling Overturned During Expedition

Illustration of the Faroe Islands. (Wikimedia Commons/Stig Nygaard)

JAKARTA - The body of a United States woman was found in Norway after a replica of the Viking ship she was traveling on overturned during an expedition from the Faroe Islands, according to police.

The US State Department confirmed the death of a citizen of the country off the coast of Norway.

The woman, identified by Norwegian media as archaeologist Karla Dana, was declared missing after the Norwegian Joint Rescue Coordination Center (JRC) rescued five other passengers traveling with her late Tuesday, a spokesman for the Norwegian Western District Police told CNN, as quoted August 29.

The six people participated in the "Legalist Viking Shipping" project involving a voyage from the Faroe Islands to Trondheim in Norway by boarding Naddoddur, a replica of the Viking ship, according to the Sail2North expedition, which organized the trip.

In a social media post ahead of departure, Sail2North, described Dana (29) as the youngest crew member to "real the curiosity of a field researcher and the courage of an adventurer."

"Karla symbolizes the spirit of exploration and commitment to future generations," added the online upload.

At around 5:45 p.m. local time on Tuesday, the ship sent a distress signal, according to the JRC. After a delayed response, the rescue team arrived about 50 minutes later, in which the crew on board gave a signal that they were safe, prompting the team to return, the JRC continued.

At around 8 p.m., another distress call was removed from the ship. Local civilian ships arrived at the scene and reported that the ship had capsized and five people were found aboard the rescue raft, according to the JRCC. The survivors were flown to a safe place around 8:50 p.m. local time, they added.

Emergency workers searched throughout the night and found a corpse on Wednesday morning after weather conditions improved, according to the JRCC. Norwegian police said the crew of the survivors included one Faroe citizen and four Swiss nationals.

"We extend our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased," said a spokesman for the US State Department.

"In order to respect family privacy, we have no further comment at this time," they said.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of The Explorer Club, where Dana is also a member, was quoted by the BBC as saying his death was a reminder "that we are making this dangerous Expedition and Exploration look easy, but it really isn't."

"This brave traveler left the planet by doing something he loves so much too early," Florida branch club chairman Joseph Dituri told BBC News.

"The spirit of exploration is clearly visible in everything he does and the spirit of his life! The world is getting better because he is in it," he added.