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A surfacing whale struck a New Jersey fire department boat Friday, forcing firefighters to abandon the vessel as it returned from a July 4 marine security assignment in New York Harbor, officials said.
The Carteret Fire Department said Marine Unit 2 was returning to Carteret waters around 4:30 p.m. Friday after assisting with a regional special operations marine security detail in the New York/New Jersey Port area when a whale breached beneath the vessel’s stern near the mouth of Raritan Bay.
The department said the whale strike caused catastrophic damage to the boat, which immediately began taking on water, giving firefighters only seconds to abandon the vessel.
PILOT DECLARES MAYDAY BEFORE SEAPLANE COMES DOWN IN NEW YORK CITY’S EAST RIVER
Carteret Emergency Services’ Marine Unit 2 is seen docked before it was struck by a surfacing whale near the mouth of Raritan Bay on July 4, forcing firefighters to abandon the vessel. (Carteret Fire Department & EMS Division)
All firefighters aboard escaped without injury, according to the department.
Officials said a nearby recreational jet ski operator and another boater immediately came to the firefighters’ aid before members of the Perth Amboy Fire Department’s marine unit arrived and helped rescue the crew from the water.
A nearby recreational vessel reported seeing multiple whales breaching before and after the collision, the Carteret Fire Department said.
THREE DEAD, 7 RESCUED IN BOATING TRAGEDY AS SEVERE HOLIDAY WEEKEND STORM RAVAGES WISCONSIN TOURIST HOT SPOT
Carteret Fire Department’s Marine Unit 2 patrols New York Harbor before a whale surfaced beneath the vessel’s stern, causing catastrophic damage, officials said. (Carteret Fire Department) (Carteret Emergency Services Marine Unit)
The circumstances surrounding the incident remain under review, and officials said additional information will be released as it becomes available.
Mayor Dan Reiman described the incident as a “harrowing experience” in a public statement, saying the surfacing whale struck the vessel beneath its stern and caused catastrophic damage.
Carteret Fire Department’s Marine Unit 2 partially sinks after a whale surfaced beneath the vessel near the mouth of Raritan Bay on July 4. Nearby boaters and firefighters rescued the crew, officials said. (Carteret Fire Department)
“While the Carteret Fire Department Marine Unit regularly trains to rescue civilians from the water and respond to marine emergencies, fires, and vehicle incidents, an event of this nature is something no one anticipates,” the fire department said. “Understandably, it has left those involved shaken, but we are incredibly thankful that everyone returned home safely to their families.”
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The department used the incident to remind boaters, jet ski operators and kayakers to wear properly fitted life jackets, noting that every firefighter aboard was wearing one when the boat was damaged.
Officials have not identified the species of whale involved. It was not clear whether the animal was injured.