On November 8, the ships collided near the Norwegian coast in Oygarden island municipality. A total of 127 people were evacuated due to the incident, while several people were injured. Norway’s frigate was severely damaged and had begun to sink, but the authorities have managed to beach it. Nevertheless, the Navy ship sank five days after the steel ropes holding it in place broke down.
READ MORE: New PHOTOS Show Shipwrecked Norwegian Frigate Sink Further After NATO Drills
The US officer was on board of the Helge Ingstad as part of the exchange program, Cmdr. Kyle Raines, a spokesman for the US Navy’s 6th Fleet, said, according to the newspaper.
The US Navy supports the Norwegian investigation, the spokesman noted but declined to reveal the identity of the officer or the exact role the serviceman had played on the vessel.