A woman who was studying in Orkney has died after the replica Viking boat she was travelling in capsized.
Karla Dana, a Mexican explorer and scholar from Florida, was one of six people on board the Naddoddur on Tuesday.
She was the youngest member of the Sail2North group who were sailing on a double-masted wooden Viking ship replica from the Faroe Islands to Norway.
A distress signal was sent when the boat got into trouble on the fourth day of the voyage and five people were able to get into an inflatable life raft.
They were then airlifted to safety.
A woman’s body was found close to where the boat sank on Wednesday morning, who the Norwegian press have identified as Karla Dana.
A spokesperson from the US State Department confirmed a US citizen had died off the coast of Norway.
They added: “We extend our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased.
“Out of respect for the privacy of the family, we have no further comment at this time.”
Orkney student part of Viking boat expedition
Tributes have been shared online for the 29-year-old with friends describing her a “true explorer”.
Karla had not long started a MLitt course in archaeological studies focused on Orkney and the North Atlantic region.
She said online that she was studying the Viking era through the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI).
In June, she conducted an excavation at a Neolithic Viking site on the island.
The group of six explorers shared a number of updates online ahead of sailing across the North Sea.
The boat passed the north-east of Shetland on day two of the voyage.
In one post, they said “The Viking Voyage” aimed to “preserve Viking culture and navigational skills for future generations”.
Karla had contributed to blog posts about their upcoming “adventure” which appear to have been removed from their website.
Police in Norway have said the capsizing was a “tragic accident” probably caused by a large wave.
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