A humpback whale collided with an 8-meter boat in an Alaskan national park, causing the vessel to sink quickly and forcing those on board to save themselves, reports infohub.kz.
The incident occurred in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in Alaska. A private 8-meter boat sank after the marine mammal surfaced directly beneath it and struck the hull with force. Three adults and one child were on board. They managed to send a distress signal before the boat took on water and went down.
Fortunately, rescue services and a nearby vessel responded quickly to the call. All four people were promptly pulled from the cold water. None of the passengers suffered serious injuries, but all were in shock. The victims were taken to shore for medical examination.
The U.S. National Park Service has launched an investigation into the incident. Experts note that humpback whales often make sudden maneuvers while feeding, and such collisions are unintentional. Boaters in the region have once again been reminded to maintain a safe distance when observing marine giants.