A tragic incident occurred off the coast of Sydney, Australia, on Saturday when a whale hit and overturned a fishing boat, resulting in one fatality and another man being hospitalized.
The unconscious man was rescued from Botany Bay but later succumbed to his injuries, while the second man is in stable condition in the hospital.
New South Wales Police Minister Yasmin Catley expressed her shock at the unusual incident, describing it as “terribly tragic”. State Emergency Services Minister Jihad Dib referred to it as “an absolute freak accident”.
According to a police statement, the boat was likely hit or impacted by a breaching whale, causing it to tilt and eject both men. The species of the whale involved has not been identified.
Australia is home to 10 large and 20 smaller species of whales along its extensive coastline. Although human fatalities due to whales are uncommon in the region, Australia and neighboring New Zealand frequently experience mass whale strandings on their beaches.
In a similar incident in June, eight Danes were rescued after their sailboat capsized in the Pacific Ocean following a collision with one or two whales.
