Ship stuck in Norwegian garden has been freed, 'now it's thanks and goodbye'

The cargo ship that got stuck in Norway last week has been pulled free. For nearly a week, the bow of the unmanned ship lay in the backyard of Johan Helberg, in a fjord near Trondheim. Helberg seems unfazed by its departure: "It was nice to greet him, but now it's thanks and goodbye," he told Norwegian news site NRK.

The ship, the Salten, had been there since Thursday. It drifted after a crew member fell asleep. The boat ran aground at night and ended up just meters from Helberg's house. The resident was asleep and only noticed when he woke up in the morning. "When I looked out the window, I was quite surprised to see a large ship in my garden."

On Friday, the coast guard attempted to tow the ship away but failed. The boat was too firmly stuck on the shore. A towing company was then hired to attach cables to the ship. After half an hour, it was freed. The Salten is being towed to Orkanger, near Trondheim, for inspection and repairs.

The ship's owner, North Sea Container Line, expressed relief that the ship was successfully towed away. The company sympathized with evacuated neighbors.

The story of the stranded ship attracted global attention, with coverage from The Guardian, BBC, and The New York Times. Locally, it became a tourist attraction, with many cycling by to see it. A Google Maps location was even created for reviews, with one joking: "Here you can enjoy coffee and ship spotting."