A Norwegian rescue diver lost his life on Friday afternoon (September 26) while attempting to save a young girl in a dramatic rescue operation in Lofoten’s Nappstraumen strait. Six people were rescued from the capsized vessel, but the girl remains missing.
The Norwegian Sea Rescue Society (Redningsselskapet) said the incident happened when their rescue boat RS 125 “Det Norske Veritas” was called to an emergency at 12:49 local time.
A fishing charter boat had capsized in the strait between Flakstadøya and Vestvågøya, with seven people on board, including four adults, two children, and a fishing guide.
At 13:04, RS 125 departed Ballstad and reached the accident site by 13:15. Crews rescued six people who had climbed on the overturned hull of the vessel. However, a young girl was still in the water. Diver Adrian Willyson Brask, 36, entered the sea to search for her.
Within 15 minutes, at 13:32, reports confirmed Brask had been hoisted aboard a rescue helicopter. Crew members had already begun CPR on him aboard RS 125. Despite efforts, Brask died.
Redningsselskapet described his loss as a tragedy and said it happened while performing “the most important task a rescue boat crew can have, to try to save another life.”
Secretary General Grete Herlofson said the organisation had set up a crisis team and a relatives’ group to support Brask’s loved ones. She expressed condolences to his wife, young daughter, friends, and colleagues, and to the family of the missing girl.
Brask had begun his career as a volunteer in the Sea Rescue Corps in Stord. This spring he joined Redningsselskapet as a chief mate and recently became part of the Ballstad crew. Colleagues described him as a valued member of the rescue service.
The rescue service mobilised significant resources for the operation. At 13:40, RS 138 “Sundt Flyer” was dispatched from Svolvær. By 15:00, a diver from RS 138 joined two Coast Guard divers in the search.
At 15:23, it was confirmed the missing child was not inside the capsized boat, so the search shifted to beaches and other areas. RS 125 ended its mission at 15:40 and returned to Ballstad.
Later, RS 136 “Halvdan Grieg” joined the search, working until midnight and continuing the next morning. The police later seized Brask’s diving equipment as part of routine investigation procedures at 18:49.
Maritime Director Gorm Hillgaar said the rescue service had launched an internal investigation to understand the incident and to ensure crew safety. The Accident Investigation Board Norway is also conducting its own inquiry.
RS 125 is a 22-metre rescue vessel built in 2003. It was badly damaged in January 2024 during another rescue attempt near Stamsund when trying to save a fisherman, who did not survive. Repairs took a year, supported by sponsor DNV.
Herlofson called the incident “the darkest day for the rescue service in over a hundred years” and said condolences had come from sister organisations across Europe, other Norwegian rescue actors, and Minister of Justice Astrid Aas Hansen. She thanked the rescue community for their support during the crisis.
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