An Australian fisherman was knocked unconscious and injured when a whale’s tail hit him in the face while he was fishing on a boat. Rescue personnel reportedly rushed to the scene and transported him to receive medical treatment. The rescuers mentioned that such an incident is extremely rare and they had never encountered anything like it before.
According to a report by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), the incident occurred around 9 a.m. on August 18 in the waters off the border between Queensland and New South Wales. At the time of the incident, the man and his friends were fishing about 1 kilometer from Tweed Heads.
Out of nowhere, a whale’s tail appeared and struck the man’s face, causing him to lose consciousness. His friend, who was unharmed, managed to make an emergency call for help.
Scott Brown from the Queensland Ambulance Service was one of the first responders to arrive at the scene. He mentioned that it was his first time experiencing such a “extremely rare” encounter. While they had encountered incidents of whales colliding with boats before, no one was on board at the time. When they learned about the current incident, they were initially skeptical.
The man who was hit by the whale’s tail in the face was later taken to the Gold Coast University Hospital for treatment, and his condition is currently stable.
Brown stated that the man suffered superficial injuries to his face and “doesn’t remember the incident.”
He noted that due to the good weather conditions, there were many boats out at sea. He urged people to remain vigilant at all times, especially during the season when whales are frequenting the area.
He said, “Please be aware that there are many whales in this area at this time of year. Today’s incident shows us that anything can happen.”
Australia is located in the Southern Hemisphere, currently experiencing winter. During this cold season, humpback whales and southern right whales migrate north along Australia’s east coast and return south between September and November.
The Queensland police stated that the man who was hit by the whale’s tail did not see the whale initially and only realized when it appeared in front of him. After being struck by the whale, he was lucky to remain on the boat and not fall into the sea.
A spokesperson for the Queensland police said, “We urge all boat occupants to wear life jackets.”