Missing teacher last seen trying to help students

Seljord LakeKongsberg fire brigade and Tokke Red Cross work together in search of a missing woman in Seljordsvatnet on Friday afternoon. The person is missing after the boat accident in Seljordsvatnet, where two students died. Photo: Torstein Bøe / NTB scanpix

Missing teacher last seen when she tried to help students who had fallen into the Seljord Lake

When two students failed to reach land after capsizing in the Seljord Lake, the teacher allegedly tried to rescue them. After that nobody has seen her.

 

Saturday night, the 53-year-old woman was still missing, despite an intensive search in the Seljord Lake during the day. The Police and Red Cross will resume the operation on Sunday. Sonar will be used in the search, says South East Police.

Two young men aged 19 and 20 are confirmed dead after the accident. The investigation so far has revealed that the two were part of a six person group, including the teacher. The party was on their way ower the lake in a 14-foot recreational boat with an outboard engine heading to the teacher’s cabin.

Large waves

The boat was 15 meters from land when it took in water due to large waves.

Four of the group managed to reach land, including the missing teacher, while two were left in the water. The Missing person then headed back towards the two in the water and was last seen heading for them, sheriff in Bø and Sauherad, Sigrid Dahl, states.

The police have in parallel with the search for the woman investigated the incident. The course of events is based mostly on questioning of the survivors, and makes the base for assumption regarding what actually happened.

The involved boat is found and secured

–One of the deceased was wearing a life jacket. The missing person as well as the other dead person was not wearing a life jacket, according to Dahl.

The main rescue center of Southern Norway previously stated that none of the six in the boat wore a life jacket when the accident occurred.

All six in the boat were attached to Nome and Bø adult education, but it is autumn holidays and they went on a private trip when the accident occurred. The school has 180 students and provides, among other things, lessons in Norwegian to refugees.

Refugee died

One of the two deceased came to Norway as a single minor refugee. The other was in the same family as several of the others who were in the boat.

Three people managed to reach land after the boat capsized. At highway 36 they stopped Arne Moen, who was the witness to come to the site. He called the emergency services and let the three into his car.

– They were cold and wet after running through the woods. It must have been quite a drama on the lake, says Moen to Varden.

– They said that there were waves coming into the boat and that it had capsized. Beyond that, they did not say much. They were distraught and miserable, he continues.

There are crisis teams set up in three municipalities after the accident: In Seljord, where the accident occurred, in Bø, where the six involved were living, and in Nome, the municipality where they worked and went to school.

 

©  NTB Scanpix / Norway Today