Tourist, 29, drowns after being trapped under boat when it capsized off North Sea during expedition recreating how Vikings would have travelled

American archaeologist Karla Dana, 29, from Florida, died after the replica Viking ship she was sailing in sank. Dana was part of a voyage trying to recreate how the Vikings would have travelled between Norway and the Faroe Islands in the 9th century.

The crew of the replica fishing vessel tried to just use sails and oars for the 680km sailing. But they took on water and capsized in stormy seas on Tuesday (27 August), four days into the five-day journey.

Dana was trapped under the boat where she drowned, local media reported. Her body was found Wednesday morning (28 August) a few hundred metres away from the wreck about 60km off Norway's coastal island Måløy.

Dana was the only person to die with the other five sailors surviving on an inflatable life raft before being rescued by a helicopter. Survivors include three men and one woman from Switzerland and another man from the Faroe Islands.

The boat had launched on Saturday (24 August) after being delayed due to bad weather. The replica ship was found by the Coast Guard boat KV Bergen and police have now launched an investigation into the sinking.

The exact cause of the sinking is yet to be determined, but Norway's Sea Rescue Society (NSRS) reported stormy conditions in the area. The ship sailed from Tvøroyri on Suðuroy island in the Faroe Islands towards Alesund in Norway with the sailing intended to take five days. None of the survivors were physically injured, but they were treated for psychological issues following the ordeal.