- A 61-year-old man has died in Australia after a whale struck and flipped his boat, police said.
- His crewmate and brother-in-law survived.
- Experts said there is an “incredible’ number” of migrating whales close to Australia’s east coast.
A 61-year-old man tragically lost his life in Australia when a whale struck and overturned his boat, causing both occupants to be expelled, according to local authorities.
New South Wales Police responded to the situation by extracting the unconscious man from the waters near La Perouse, a suburb southeast of Sydney, after finding an unmanned boat circling in the area. Despite attempts to revive him, Stuart Collings, as identified by Australia’s 9 News, was declared deceased at the location.
The skipper of the boat, Collings’ brother-in-law Darren Curmi, 53, was rescued and treated by paramedics before being transported to a hospital in stable condition, as reported by the police.
At a press conference on Saturday, Acting Superintendent Siobhan Munro of NSW Police noted that preliminary reports suggested the boat may have been breached near or on top by a whale. The vessel, described as a “runabout vessel,” was approximately 15 feet long, according to authorities.
An observer informed 9 News that he heard a loud bang in the early morning and witnessed the capsizing of the boat, followed by the emergence of something large from the water.
The two individuals were believed to have spent around 45 minutes in the water before being rescued, with Curmi staying near Collings throughout, reported 9 News.
Police did not disclose which whale species was likely responsible for the collision with the boat.
Mark Hutchings, the executive director of the NSW maritime authority, emphasized during a press conference that there is an extraordinary number of migrating whales in the area this year.
According to marine scientist Vanessa Pirotta, thousands of humpback whales were anticipated to pass by Sydney en route to their feeding grounds in Antarctica, as conveyed by ABC News.
Australian waters are home to 20 small and 10 large whale species, with the blue whale, which can grow up to 100 feet long, being the largest.
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