SYDNEY, NSW – A fishing outing turned deadly when a whale struck a boat in Botany Bay, leading to one man’s death and another’s hospitalization.
Local police reported that one man was retrieved unconscious from the bay, situated off Sydney’s coast, and subsequently pronounced dead. The second man was transported to a nearby hospital and is in stable condition.
New South Wales Police Minister Yasmin Catley remarked on the unusual nature of the incident, calling it “terribly tragic.” State Emergency Services Minister Jihad Dib termed it “an absolute freak accident.”
Initial police reports suggest the whale may have breached near or directly onto the boat. Authorities have yet to identify the species involved.
Australia is home to a diverse range of whale species, with 10 large and 20 smaller types frequenting its extensive coastlines. Though human fatalities due to whale interactions are uncommon, Australia and nearby New Zealand are known for frequent mass whale strandings.
In a similar event, eight Danes were rescued in June after their sailboat capsized in the Pacific Ocean, following a collision with one or two whales.
Based on an original news report by Reuters.