A sailing yacht caught fire in the Norwegian bay of Boknafjorden on Sunday afternoon. Only the skipper was on board. The fire spread quickly and the yachtsman had to jump into the sea, but before he could do so he was able to signal a distress. The skipper had to jump out onto the sea, but before he could make the distress call, help had arrived in unexpected ways. There were a number of boats at sea that day that could have provided assistance to the yachtsman, but the closest and most immediate response was the ferryboat Fjordveien. Its captain decided to divert and help the yachtsman. According to witnesses, everyone was surprised at how quickly, quietly and efficiently the ferry crew worked. As soon as the ship approached the burning yacht a rescue boat was launched to pick up the distressed skipper. Fortunately he was not injured and did not require medical assistance. The causes of the fire are being investigated.
After the rescue of the yachtsman, the ferry Fjordveien continued its journey, which was 40 minutes behind schedule.
