Missing fisherman found dead after eight months

A 76-year-old fisherman reported missing at sea since August has been found dead in his wrecked boat off northern Norway, police confirmed on Sunday.

Olaf Birger Danielsen was last seen when the vessel Amalie Sofie capsized in Varangerfjord, East Finnmark, on 5 August last year, Dagbladet reports. Two others on board were rescued, but Danielsen remained unaccounted for until the discovery.

Finnmark police district stated the body recovered from the wreck is presumed to be Danielsen, and his next of kin have been notified. Authorities aim to retrieve the body and salvage the vessel later on Monday.

“Until we have examined the boat, we cannot comment on the cause of the accident,” operations leader Jan Arne Pettersen told reporters. “However, we are relieved to have located the missing person. The deceased will undergo forensic examination to confirm identity.”

The wreck lies in Varangerfjord, a coastal area in Norway’s northernmost county, where the Amalie Sofie sank with three crew members aboard last summer.