SAR Helicopter from the 330 Sqd. Photo by the Norwegian Armed Forces.

There has  been an accident involving four Lithuanian fishing tourists off Værøy in Lofoten today several newspapers reports.
None say anything about what happened but they were in the water, as they where rescued by fishing vessel “Kari Anne” and a SAR helicopter from
the SAR station in Bodø. Unfortunately one of the four lost his life.

It was around 11am when the fishing vessel “Kari Anne” reported to the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre that it had rescued two people who was found floating in the water.
They where about to rescue a third person when the SAR helicopter arrived and the Sea King picked up the final two victims from the water. The three survivors are suffering from hypothermia but will be okay.

So wear you floaties ladies and gentlemen and never trust the seas…

The Search and Rescue emergency number is: 120 or use channel VHF channel 16.

Photo: Repvag fjordhotell & Rorbuer

The German tourist Günther Kinnerman, has cought a 223 kg Halibut in Magerøysundet off North Cape, Norway. According to NRK (Google translate link) the fight lasted for two hours and he had it up twice before he managed to secure the fish to the boat on the third attempt.

The fish weight in at 223kg (491,6Lb) and was  256cm long. NRK reprots that the old record belonged to a Dane, at 208kg. That halibut was 202 and was caught in Lofoten. But only a couple of years ago a Swede caught a 212kg Halibut near Hamarøy.

Anyway, there is not much to say but; Well done, Günther!

10-15 years ago they came to my fjord. Where I spent my summers fishing for cod and coal fish from my grandfathers rowing dingy as a kid, or if luck would have it, I could get out on the “big boat”, his 16″ Hansvik glass fiber boat with a 16HP Yamaha on the stern. But I have hardly been there since the trawlers came.

These days they say the fish is back. Well, the small coal fish is back at least. And the halibut has always been there. So this summer I plan to take the family and spend a week or two. My grandfathers Hansvik is gone, but my uncle has put a 14 foot little nut shell in the boat house, and the plastic dingy is still there to teach my kids how to row a boat. And the best halibut mark in the fjord is just 50 meters out from the boat house!

So just maybe, I will get to teach my youngest son aged 8 months, where the best cod marks are too? Unless the fish farms move in and finish the killing of my child hoods fjord.