19-year-old Emil Aleksander Johansen Pedersen and 18-year-old Morten Johan Åsvang Halvorsen lost their lives after a leisure boat ran aground on the night of 26 August in Meløy. On Wednesday 6 September, Morten Johan Åsvang Halvorsen will be buried in Fore church at Reipå in Meløy. On Friday 8 September, Emil Aleksander Johansen Pedersen will be buried in the same church. It is acting vicar, Rolv Olsen, who, together with substitute priest Nils Øyvind Kjøl, will hold both funerals. For the church at Reipå in Meløy seating for a total of 300 people. Photo: Synnøve Sundby Fallmyr / news Olsen talks about a demanding task that lies ahead of them. – The tragic accident that has affected many. Many people here live in a nightmare that they just want to wake up from. But then you are awake. Losing your own children is probably the worst thing you can experience as a human being. It’s just painful for everyone, says the vicar. – It only gets worse In June, the parish priest held the funeral where a 31-year-old woman died in a traffic accident just north of Reipå. Now he is preparing to say goodbye to two new, young people. – The fact that there have been several accidents in a short time does not make these funerals any easier. This is not something you get used to. In fact, it only gets worse. Olsen adds: – We hope to be able to support as far as we can. Let those who are there meet. Listen and talk about what has happened and what will happen. Words can easily become empty in such a context. But we will be there, and try to share what we believe in, says Olsen. – Was abruptly torn from us In the obituary of Emil Aleksander Johansen Pedersen, the family writes that the 19-year-old was an “inalienable son, brother, grandson, nephew and cousin”, who was suddenly torn from his family. The family of Morten Johan Åsvang Halvorsen writes in the obituary that “Our dear inalienable Morten Minstemann” The families have given news permission to use the picture of Pedersen and Halvorsen, as well as to quote from the obituaries. Suspicion weakened Nine people were on board when the boat ran aground on the island of Teksmona last Saturday night. The nine on board were all aged 18 to early 20s. They had been in a social group on the island of Bolga in Meløy municipality. On the way back, they must have ended up on a wrong course. At 01:18 on Saturday night, the police were notified that a boat had run aground on a rock at Meløyneset. Two people lost their lives, and four of them were sent to the hospital in Bodø with varying degrees of damage. The boat sustained damage, mainly in the bow. – The investigation so far has shown that the boat has had a relatively high speed for the conditions, and that there has been intoxication involved, said police attorney Runar Mellem Robertsen in a press release the day after the accident. Several lit candles and laid flowers in Meløy after the accident. Photo: Frida Farestveit Jonassen / Meløy Gatebil All seven survivors were routinely given the status of accused after the boat accident. But the basis for the suspicion is weakened for everyone except the boat driver, according to the police. These cases are now with the public prosecutor in Nordland. Crisis team still operational A municipality in shock and grief set up a crisis team after the accident. It is not the first time this summer that the village has been hit by fatal accidents. The extent of the boat accident and other accidents in Meløy this summer meant that the municipality asked neighboring municipalities for assistance. The village’s young people have organized both a boat and car procession after the accident. Photo: Frida Farestveit Jonassen It is primarily psychologists and psychiatric nurses that the municipality needs in the first instance. – The municipality’s crisis management is still operational and continually assesses the need for assistance. We have to plan for both the short and long term and set ourselves up so that we can manage day-to-day operations in parallel with crisis management. Then it’s good to have good neighbors who lend a hand, said mayor Sigurd Stormo earlier this week.
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Emil Johansen Pedersen and Morten Åsvang Halvorsen will be buried this week – news Nordland
